Someone to Lean On
by Victoria Ann
Summary: She had finally regained hope, but is life going to let her down yet again? You'll have to read more to find out! CM Please r&r! CHAP. 13 now up--believe it or not!
1. Right Place, Wrong Time

Hey everyone, I'm back! As you all (hopefully) know, my last story was "Bad Company" (which by the way is not based on the movie), and it went over so well I thought I'd try again. Thanks for all the support.  
  
This story is based in, well, I guess anytime you want it to be, except Monica and Chandler never met, Ross and Rachel never met . . . let's just say Chandler, Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey all know each other, but all of them do not know Monica and Ross. Actually, Ross and Chandler did go to college together in this one but they drifted apart afterwards. Sorry it's so confusing, but hopefully you'll catch on eventually.  
  
I'm at my dad's right now, and unfortunately I'm forced to have a life ;), so the chapters most likely will not be posted daily, but I'll try my best to get them to you ASAP. Unless of course you don't like the sounds of this story, in which case I'll take it off and try another route. =D  
  
Anyway, thanks again, and review!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Friends or any of the characters in it. I also do not own Jennifer Aniston, Jim Carrey, or the movie Bruce Almighty. I haven't even seen that movie yet, but it looks really good, don't you think? I do own George though. So there. ;)  
  
Someone to Lean On Chapter One: Right Place, Wrong Time  
  
"Hey Joe, I'm headed downstairs to get some coffee, you want to join me?" Chandler Bing asked his roommate as he walked by him in the kitchen.  
  
"Nah, 'Baywatch' marathon," Joey replied as he gestured at the television.  
  
Chandler grinned. He knew his friend would never miss an opportunity like that. "Alright then, I'm leaving. I'll probably be back before I go out tonight."  
  
"Hot date?"  
  
"Yeah right," Chandler laughed. "I'm seeing a movie with Phoebe."  
  
"Oh, okay, well have fun." Joey grabbed a beer out of the fridge and sprinted back into the living room just as 'Baywatch' came back from a commercial break.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chandler noticed her the second he walked in the doors of Central Perk. Her hair, long and sleek, shined in the dim lighting of the coffee shop as if a hundred overhead fixtures were pointed at it. Even from where he was standing, he could tell she had a gorgeous shade of blue eyes, and her smile was bright when she thanked a waitress for bringing her coffee.  
  
He stopped in the doorway, mesmerized by her beauty. He couldn't help staring. Eventually he heard knocking behind him and was suddenly aware that he was blocking the entrance. Chandler stepped aside to let the people through and apologized.  
  
Slowly making his way over to the woman, Chandler wondered to himself what the hell he was doing. This wasn't like him, he didn't even know this girl. She could be married for all he knew. Heck, she could even be one of Joey's many girlfriends. Every girl in the city seemed to know Joey someway or another. Chandler shook these thoughts out of his head as he finally reached her.  
  
She was sitting at a table by herself and looked up at him when he extended his hand to her. "Hi, I'm-I'm Bing."  
  
The woman stared at him, a puzzled look on her face. "Excuse me?"  
  
"What? Oh, no! Crap. I'm Chandler, just Chandler. I mean, Bing is my last name." He mentally kicked himself. He should never be allowed to talk to anyone, ever.  
  
She grinned, finally understanding that he was just nervous. She took his hand. "Monica Geller."  
  
"Geller? Spelled with an 'e'?" When she nodded, he continued. "I went to college with a Ross Geller."  
  
"Oh, wow, that's my brother," she laughed.  
  
He grinned. "It's a small world."  
  
"Sure is. Hey, you want a seat?" she asked, gesturing to the chair across from her.  
  
"That'd be great, if you don't mind."  
  
"No, not at all." She watched as he sat down across from her. Then, immediately, she panicked. What if he found out? What if he walked in here right now and saw her sitting with another man? 'No, that won't happen,' she reassured herself. George had never been here, and probably never planned on setting foot inside such a cheerful place.  
  
"So, do you live in the village?" Chandler asked after getting settled and ordering a decaf. He wasn't sure if it was the best conversation starter, but it was good enough. He was thankful that he was even able to form words at this moment.  
  
"Yeah, actually, I live in the apartment complex across from here. What about you?"  
  
"Right upstairs." Chandler pointed upward.  
  
"Oh, yeah, that's what I figured. I saw you coming down the steps, but thought I'd ask anyway," she smiled. "Do you share an apartment?"  
  
"Yep, I live with my friend Joey Tribbiani. You know him?"  
  
"No," Monica replied.  
  
"Oh, good." Chandler let out a sigh of relief. "And then my other friends, Phoebe and Rachel, live right across the hall."  
  
"That must be great, having all your friends around you like that."  
  
"It's pretty cool. You live by yourself?" Chandler figured this question would be good enough to find out if she had a husband, live-in boyfriend, lesbian lover . . .  
  
"No, I have a roommate," was Monica's only reply. "What do you do for a living?"  
  
"Data processing. Not too exciting but it pays the bills."  
  
She grinned. "I'm a chef. It's something I've always wanted to do. Actually I'm switching over to an upper-scale restaurant soon . . ." She continued talking, lost in her need to communicate with someone who didn't yell in response to her every word.  
  
They talked for a while - an hour and a half to be exact, and they soon realized that they had a lot in common, were both single (at least she wanted to be, but Chandler didn't have to know that), and each acted somewhat attracted to the other person.  
  
Finally, Chandler glanced at his watch. "Damn, look at the time. I promised my friend Phoebe I'd meet her at the movie theater."  
  
"Oh, okay." Monica was definitely disappointed, but she hid it well.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I really would like to stay and talk longer, but . . ."  
  
"Oh, no, it's fine. I totally understand." Monica plastered a smile on her face.  
  
Chandler nodded and apprehensively stood up. "Alright, well . . . do you think maybe we could go out sometime?" He surprised himself by asking that question. Despite all that the two had in common, he had earlier decided that this would be it. He knew that would be best for both of them. She was obviously not the type who usually dated him, at least not for long (that 'type' was every girl he had ever gone out with, except for Janice. But even they hadn't stayed together). And he simply didn't feel up to getting his heart broken once again.  
  
But in the end his need to be with someone won over instinct, and he popped the question, not really expecting her to agree.  
  
She smiled again, and this time her smile was real. "That would be great. Here's my phone number-" she stopped talking immediately, remembering something important. What if George answered? He wouldn't be happy. "Actually, maybe I should take yours? I just realized, I'm getting hired at that new restaurant, like I said, and I'm not sure what my hours are going to be yet."  
  
"Okay, yeah, here you go," Chandler glanced around and finally chose a napkin off of the table. After borrowing a pen from Gunther, one of the head waiters., he wrote his number down clearly, handing it to her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Monica watched him as he left the building after saying their goodbyes. Then she sighed and sat heavily back onto her seat.  
  
"Oh, god, what am I doing?" she asked herself under her breath. She knew she wasn't prepared for the consequences if George aver found out. But she also knew that she really wanted to see Chandler again. He was a great guy, she could tell just by spending that much time with him. He was just about everything George wasn't.  
  
Monica decided she would do anything possible to keep George from discovering this secret of hers. Anything.  
  
She sighed once again and stood, readying herself to go back across the street to her apartment, where the man who ran her life was waiting.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey Chandler!" Phoebe greeted him at the entrance to the movie theater, in a good mood as always.  
  
"Hey, Pheebs. Have you decided what you want to see?" he asked as they walked through the automatic doors.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. Does 'Bruce Almighty' sound alright?" Phoebe said, pointing at that movie's poster. "I'm a fan of Jennifer Aniston."  
  
"That sounds good. I've wanted to see it for a while. Aniston's pretty good, but what about Jim Carrey?" Chandler handed over the money to the clerk and she in return handed him two movie tickets.  
  
"Are we talking about attractiveness, here?" Phoebe questioned. Chandler didn't reply as they walked toward the theater, so she glanced over at him. He was looking distantly off into space, and she nudged his arm. "You okay?"  
  
Chandler looked at her. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, I'm just thinking."  
  
She smiled. "You met someone, didn't you?"  
  
He stopped outside the theater and turned to her, "How do you know these things?"  
  
"I can just tell," she replied. "Now, tell me about her!"  
  
"Phoebe, we're about to see a movie, do you really think now is the best time to gossip?"  
  
"Of course! Besides, it's not really gossip. I just want to know!" Phoebe grinned and leaned up against the wall next to him. "So, first of all, where did it happen?"  
  
So, while the beginning credits of the movie began to roll inside the theater, Chandler explained every detail to his friend, who was listening earnestly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Monica slowly unlocked and opened the door to her apartment. It was almost pitch black inside, being evening and the blinds down, so she switched on the nearest light.  
  
"George?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"George?" she asked again, this time a little louder, and he suddenly came storming out of the kitchen.  
  
"Where have you been?!?" he yelled.  
  
Monica flinched from the tone of his voice and hoped he wouldn't see through her façade. "I ran into an old friend at the coffee house today. She had a lot to say."  
  
"Yeah. I guess so. Women really shouldn't be allowed to have friends, they talk too much," he grumbled sternly, heading back out to the kitchen.  
  
Monica ignored his comment, knowing it wouldn't do any good to argue. She didn't feel like fighting tonight. 'Why am I with this asshole?' she thought, then immediately answered herself. She was afraid of what he would do to her if she attempted to leave him. He had already made threats before, and Monica knew the man well enough to be positive he wouldn't hesitate to follow through with them.  
  
As she was hanging her light jacket on the coat rack near the door, Monica saw the soft light from the open refrigerator glowing in the dark kitchen. Abruptly it slammed.  
  
"Monica, get in here!" he roared from the other room.  
  
Monica desperately wanted to run. Just turn and flee from the room, down the hall and out onto the sidewalk. Maybe there she would find some reprieve. But, she knew instantly that this wasn't an option. She had nowhere to go. Ross was in some far off place digging up dinosaur fossils, and her apartment was the very place from which she wanted to escape.  
  
She knew she could go to her parent's, but there she was sure there would be questions, and she didn't feel like answering questions. Ross was the only one who knew about her and George, but he only knew that they fought once in a while. Monica didn't want to go through the process of explaining that to her parents.  
  
So, she obeyed his order, hesitantly entering the kitchen. "What is it?"  
  
"How could there be no beer? Did I not tell you to pick up more beer on your way home?" He was fuming with anger, she could tell, and she found herself silently praying he would just knock her out or something - get that part over with. She was sick of the mental abuse, dreading it even more than what was to follow.  
  
"I'm sorry," was her only reply.  
  
"Oh, yeah! I believe that!" he said sarcastically. Then he dove into a seemingly endless lecture about how she was always forgetting things, and how she needed to have more respect for men - especially him.  
  
Monica clenched her fists tightly, wanting to be somewhere else right now. She struggled to ignore him, but what he said was so loud and so clearly stated that it was hard to think about anything else.  
  
Okay so I know it ended pretty strangely, but if you want to hear more, please review! Even review if you don't want to hear more. Tell me what was wrong with it. Thanks!  
Also, I never really figured out if in Friends, their apartment complex is right over Central Perk, or across the street. But in this fic it's right over it, sorry if I'm wrong. 


	2. Thinking of You

Okay, you guys are like, totally desperate for a second chapter so I decided to give you one. =D Thanks though, I'm glad you're still interested in my stories.  
  
Also, someone wanted to know: George is Monica's boyfriend of about five months. That sounds oddly good together: George and Monica. Huh. Don't you think? Lol  
  
Oh, quick question: Does anyone know where the heck Jennifer Aniston got that huge scratch on her arm from on the season finale?  
  
Someone to Lean On Chapter One: Thinking Of You  
  
After the movie had ended, Chandler and Phoebe exited the theatre, chatting about the film. Chandler had enjoyed what he actually saw. Most of the time though, he had found it hard to focus.  
  
Being asked his opinion by his friend, Chandler commented, "I thought it was pretty good."  
  
Phoebe could tell that his mind was elsewhere, and didn't bother asking where. "I thought that thing before it was even better," she grinned as they made their way to the bus stop for a ride home. That had agreed before hand that neither of them felt like bothering with a taxi.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know, you talking about that girl. I could tell you really liked her, Phoebe replied.  
  
"Monica? I did. But I won't get my hopes up too high, cause, you know . . . like she'll ever call." Chandler shrugged. He knew all too well that he actually already did have his hopes up. He really wanted to see her again. He just wished he could talk himself out of it, but it was impossible.  
  
"Way to be positive!" She shoved him playfully on the arm. "Come on, think happy thoughts!"  
  
He glanced over at her as they walked. "You're not going to start singing that song from 'The Sound of Music,' are you?"  
  
She laughed. "I hadn't planned on it. But, now that you mention it . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Joey Tribbiani was forced to stand up by the sound of the phone ringing. He muted 'Baywatch' and answered it. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi, um, is Chandler Bing there?"  
  
He was puzzled by the woman's voice and by what she said. She sounded hot. But, the chicks never, ever called for Chandler . . .  
  
"No, sorry, he's out right now. Can I take a message?" he asked finally after trying to figure out if he recognized her voice. Maybe it was actually for him and she had somehow gotten the two mixed up. He eventually decided that wasn't possible.  
  
"Um . . . no, thanks. I'll try back sometime else." She hung up quickly, and Joey was left staring at the receiver in his hand, confused, when Chandler walked into the apartment.  
  
Chandler grinned, seeing this as a good opportunity for sarcasm. "Aw, man! Joe, I thought you'd finally gotten the gist of how to use a phone. It has * nothing * to do with telepathy!" He chuckled at his own joke and paused before asking, "What are you doing?"  
  
Joey pressed the button that hung up the phone and turned to his friend. "Some girl just called. It was for you!"  
  
"Don't sound so surprised," Chandler opened the fridge to get a Diet Coke, and then suddenly realized what exactly Joey had said. "Wait a minute; did she say her name was Monica?"  
  
"No, she just asked for you and then said she would try some other time." Joey headed back to his seat in the living room to continue watching the marathon.  
  
"I bet that was her. I can't believe she called me, let alone this soon!" Chandler finished retrieving his Coke and brought it in to sit by Joey on the couch.  
  
"Who's Monica?" Joey asked, not taking his eyes off the television.  
  
"A girl I met in Central Perk." Chandler was silent after that, staring at the screen but not actually taking in the images.  
  
His puzzlement was not aided by the fact that he had a bad stomach ache. Even though it was rare for him to have them like this, he didn't pay much attention to it since it had been there slightly all day and he had learned to kind of ignore it.  
  
While deep in thought, he listened intently for the phone to ring again; though he doubted it would. It was already ten in the evening.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Monica sat down on the toilet, its lid being down, and tried to calm herself. She took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes. She had made that call to Chandler's place, not really expecting him to be home yet but needing to talk to him. She wanted some defiance over George, even if he didn't know about it.  
  
George hadn't noticed her sneaking the cordless phone into the bathroom, and probably wouldn't care. He knew she wouldn't dare call the police. Besides, she knew better than to even try.  
  
Not being able to sit still for long, she stood once again and walked over to the mirror over the bathroom sink. She gingerly touched the bruised spot which was directly under her left eye. It was already swelling, and hurt quite a bit. Monica knew she should get some ice on it, but figured it could wait. She only needed to stay in the dark, cool room for a while and clear her mind. Glancing over to the door, she made sure its two locks were in place. The locks had been there when she bought the place two years back, and she never knew why they were there. One, she could understand, but two?  
  
Anyway, she didn't really care, as long as they were there and worked. George had never before asked why she locked herself in the bathroom for long periods of time once in a while, usually after one of their fights, so she never told. Monica definitely preferred it that way. Besides, he probably enjoyed having her out of the way for a little bit, even though she was at work for most of the day. As long as he had his beer, he didn't care where she went.  
  
After this particular fight, he had made her go to the grocery store and buy some boos for him. When the cashier had asked why she had that under her eye, she had simply said, "My boyfriend accidentally punched me," and walked out of the store. That line usually worked. It made the person confused, and they usually had to think for a minute. That gave her time to make her escape before the questions came.  
  
She studied her reflection for a few more minutes and sighed. All she wanted was to be in relationship where the fights were few and easily resolved, and the love was actually there. She wasn't surprised when her thoughts once again drifted to Chandler.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
TWO WEEKS LATER  
  
After ducking out of the rain into Central Perk, Chandler shrugged off his soaked jacket and looked around. He saw Rachel leafing through a magazine, sitting on the couch, so he walked over to her.  
  
"Hey Rach," he greeted his friend, taking a seat on the other side of the couch.  
  
"Hi," she replied distantly.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked after seeing the forlorn expression on her face.  
  
"Oh, Bloomingdales was supposed to have a huge sale but because of this stupid sudden downpour it's been cancelled." She sighed and put the magazine on the coffee table.  
  
"Well, why can't they just have it another day?" he asked as he glanced outside. A bolt of lightening struck nearby, causing the lights in Central Perk to flicker briefly before thankfully staying on.  
  
"The savings will never be the same!" Rachel shouted, almost in unison with the lightening, causing people at nearby tables to turn and look at her questioningly. She lowered her voice a little. "Thirty dollars for designer boots, Chandler! Thirty dollars!"  
  
He raised his eyebrows, deciding to humor her. "Are you serious?!? That's a damned good price!"  
  
"I know." Rachel seemed to calm down, and then shrugged. "Oh well, Ralph Lauren's having an outdoor sale in a month. The rain will stop by then."  
  
"I'm sure it will, Rachel."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Monica stumbled outside from her apartment complex into the pouring rain. Immediately she started having second thoughts about what she was doing. Would George not like this, her simply leaving after their fight?  
  
This time, he had gotten angry when she didn't have supper done by the time he got home. Well, he could just finish it himself, she finally decided. She realized that this time, she didn't care what her punishment was when she got back. Before she knew it, she was heading across the street toward the coffee house, oblivious of what people would think about the mark on her face. Secretly she was hoping she'd run into Chandler there, and if not, she just wanted to sit in peace and sip on some coffee, while thinking about what she should do with her life . . .  
  
She wasn't really focusing on where she was going when she ran into a man exiting Central Perk. She stepped aside and was about to apologize when she heard a slightly familiar voice say something.  
  
"Oh my god, Monica?"  
  
Chandler couldn't believe his eyes. He hadn't forgotten about her - that was impossible to do - but he had given up any hope that she was going to call him again.  
  
She looked up at him with a blank look in her eyes. It was then that he saw the bruise. It looked fairly new, and probably would have been bleeding if the rain wasn't pounding down onto her and washing it away.  
  
Suddenly a look of recognition crossed her face, and Monica smiled sadly. "Hi, Chandler."  
  
"What . . . what happened?" he asked, studying the mark. Being high on her left cheek bone, it wasn't easily seen unless you were really looking for it.  
  
She was silent, and he noticed she was shivering. "Come on, let's go inside, get you out of this rain."  
  
She let him guide her into Central Perk. When they were part way over to some chairs, she said quietly, "If I'm gonna tell you, we need to be alone." Monica glanced nervously around at the people in the coffee house. "And I don't even know if I should tell you."  
  
Chandler looked toward the couch, but didn't spot Rachel. She must have gone back up to her apartment.  
  
"It's alright, you can trust me," he convinced her. Somehow he already kind of knew what the bruise was from, but wasn't sure. "And about the alone part, we can go up to my apartment or something . . ."  
  
"Okay," Monica nodded and let him show her the way up the flights of stairs and into apartment nineteen. Chandler sighed with relief when he saw that Joey hadn't cancelled his big date tonight and would probably be gone at least until three A.M.  
  
While she took a seat on the couch, he ran to the bathroom to retrieve a towel and brought it back to her. Chandler sat down on the other side of the couch, turned so he was facing her.  
  
Monica took the towel but did nothing but lye it, folded, on her lap and stare down at it. "To be honest I was kind of hoping to run into you. I've been thinking about you constantly since that day a couple of weeks ago we met. I could tell you're a really great guy, and I've always been an extremely good judge of character. My boyfriend's the only exception to that."  
  
Chandler wasn't at all surprised by the mention of the word 'boyfriend.' "I've been thinking about you too," was all he said, and all she needed him to say.  
  
"Now, I've needed to get this out of my system for almost five months, and there are a number of reasons I couldn't and wouldn't tell anyone else." Monica finally looked up and into his eyes, searching them for any reason to be afraid, untrusting. She found nothing along those lines.  
  
He was silent, nodding when her words called for it, not really knowing what else to do but listen. He realized suddenly that he felt he had known Monica for a long, long time; much longer than he really had. Chandler only hoped she felt the same way.  
  
She sighed slightly, and then continued. "I met this guy, George (A.N. 'Guy George,' which is the name that Boy George uses now ;) lol, sorry had to add that), in a grocery store five months back. We hit it off immediately. He acted so sweet, so loving. After two weeks, only a little while before I was about to introduce him to my parents, I did something that upset him . . . I can't remember exactly what it was now, but he got really, really angry and that's the first time he hit me."  
  
Chandler felt the growing anger inside of him. How could someone do that to a girl as sweet and beautiful as Monica Geller?  
  
"After that it was an ongoing experience. Eventually his landlord kicked him out of his own apartment, so he insisted on moving in with me, and I was afraid not to let him. It wasn't until I met you that I realized just how deep of a hole I had dug myself into. I can't get out. And it probably sounds like I'm just trying to get pity, but I'm not, I'm really not. I just thought you deserved some explanation for why I didn't call after that one time. I would really like to get to know you better . . . but I can't break up with him."  
  
Chandler flinched, feeling an extra burst of pain in his stomach, but it went away after a second so he ignored it. "But I can help you break up with him!" He stood to emphasize his point and stood in front of her, making sure not to do so in a threatening way. "I can even beat him up for you if you want. It'd be my pleasure-"  
  
He was interrupted by her standing up also, and suddenly kissing him. His breath was taken away by that kiss, but he managed to kiss back with the same intensity. Chandler didn't know why she was doing this, and knew it wasn't the best idea for the situation, but he was enjoying himself too much to break their embrace.  
  
Monica rubbed her hands slowly up and down his sides, caught in the moment. It had been so long, so long, since she had been in a relationship that had actual love and passion in it. When she kissed Chandler, she felt like everything was falling into place, and things were going to be alright again. She didn't even think of how wrong this was or what George would do when she came back to her apartment. All she wanted was to be with Chandler, right here, right now.  
  
Chandler ran his fingers through her silk-like hair and gently pressed her up against his closed bedroom door. She put her hand behind her and carefully turned the knob, opening the door and feeling herself being guided into the softly lit room, onto his bed . . .  
  
Authors Note:  
  
Okay, so there's chapter two. You guys happy for now? Lol, I know most of it was pretty boring, but I especially enjoyed writing that part at the end . . . ;)  
  
Lol, on that one part where I said Joey was puzzled by the woman's voice and by what she said, I just kept thinking, 'but isn't Joey always?' haha, it's funny to me at least . . . cause, you know, how Joey isn't the smartest person on the show . . . okay, I need to shut up now. =D  
  
So anyway, I'll get the third chapter to ya ASAP, if you would like. Thanks again for the reviews and I'd appreciate more. * hint * * hint * =D  
  
Um, just so you know . . . Sometime in there Chandler did get her ice to put on her bruise, I just forgot to put it in and afterwards couldn't find a way to fit it in. Forgive me! =)  
  
Seeya soon! 


	3. Won't You Ease My Worried Mind

I'm so so so so sorry! So much has been going on around here I just haven't gotten up enough time or energy to actually write. But, I just heard this certain song and got inspired. Thanks for the great reviews and sorry again! And to JoO1Z, that thing about cracking up every time you hear 'George' is very interesting. =D  
  
Here's the third chapter! (finally)  
  
By the way I got the title of this chapter from the song "Layla." Thanks Eric Clapton! ;)  
  
Someone to Lean On Chapter Three: Won't You Ease My Worried Mind  
  
When Chandler awoke, he opened his eyes and was surprised to find Monica still in his arms, sleeping peacefully under the warm sheets. He was amazed because last night had seemed like a dream to him. He had expected to wake up and find that he was alone in bed, with only the memories of Monica from two weeks ago to hold onto. But here she was, breathing steadily, solid in his embrace.  
  
He carefully wrapped his arms around her tightly, not knowing what exactly would happen next. He just wanted to stay like this forever, not having to worry about that other guy. Chandler was filled with anger at the thought of George, but as long as he had Monica with him he knew he didn't have to be afraid for her.  
  
Monica shifted in his arms, but her eyes stayed closed. She seemed afraid to open them. "Chandler?" she asked softly, hoping, wishing, he was really there and it wasn't George.  
  
"I'm here," Chandler assured her, kissing her cheek gently. "I'm here."  
  
She opened her eyes and looked over at him, relieved at the sight of him. "I . . . I thought it was just a dream."  
  
He nodded. "I know, so did I. But, we're both here . . . right?"  
  
Monica smiled slightly and sat up. She glanced over at the clock. When she saw that it was eight in the morning, her eyes widened and she got quickly out of bed and started pulling on her clothes from the previous day.  
  
Chandler sat up also, "No, don't go."  
  
She looked at him longingly. "I have to, Chandler. He might already be awake by now and wondering where the hell I am."  
  
"But you can't go back to him, not after what he's been doing to you! Just stay here, please?" He stood and pulled on a pair of jeans. "Besides, what are you going to tell him if he is awake?"  
  
After finishing dressing, Monica headed toward the door to Chandler's room and turned to him. She shrugged, "I'll make something up. If I stay here, he'll find someway to track me down, and I don't want to be the cause of you getting hurt."  
  
Chandler hesitated, taking in every inch of her with his eyes before going over to her and kissing her passionately, not wanting her to leave but knowing there was nothing he could do.  
  
Monica kissed him back for a minute, and then pulled away gently. She touched the side of his face, staring deeply into his eyes and thanking him wordlessly for the night before, then turned away and opened the door. "Goodbye, Chandler."  
  
He watched helplessly as she exited the apartment, then sat heavily onto a chair and thought about her, hoping they would see each other again. He hated not knowing where she was or what was happening to her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Monica took a deep breath and unlocked her apartment, entering quietly. The place was still, and no lights were on. She made her way over to her bedroom and was relieved to see George snoring loudly, sprawled across the bed. This would give her more time to think of a place she had supposedly gone after exiting the apartment last night after their fight. Besides, she slept on the couch most of the time anyway, so he wouldn't have to know she had been gone all night.  
  
She silently crept across the floor to her dresser and grabbed a change of clothes. Then she left the room and entered the kitchen. Suddenly she realized that she had to be at work by eight thirty, and now it was a quarter after eight. Monica sighed and readied herself hurriedly, partly thankful for her new job which required her to work from eight- thirty to six, six days a week. Now she wouldn't have to face George until that night.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ross Geller woke and looked around the room, not recalling where he was. Then he saw the hotel items and heard the loud vehicle and other street noises outside and remembered; China. How could he forget? He'd been there for over six months. Ross then spotted the stack of suitcases in one corner of the hotel room and groaned. He was leaving tonight, and still didn't have everything packed.  
  
But, he was still relieved to be going home. He missed his parents, Monica, New York. This city he was staying in was very busy and crowded, like New York, but it was a different type of those things. New York was . . . New York. He couldn't even explain it.  
  
Ross had decided to come home on surprise, so he hadn't contacted anyone he knew to tell them. He figured his first stop would be Monica's, because he didn't want to bother his parents so late at night. It would be a long trip back.  
  
He stood up and made his way over to the suitcases. There were so many more of them now than there were when he left from America, it seemed. This was one of the times when he would enjoy having his sister around. Monica's coordination and organization skills would definitely come in handy right now.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Joey finally got back to the apartment at about noon, and he was wearing the same clothes he had on the day before. Phoebe and Rachel were also over at their place, eating lunch with Chandler. Joey walked through the door with a cocky grin on his face, and greeted his friends.  
  
Chandler hadn't told anyone anything about the previous night. He didn't know what they would think, and besides, he figured Monica wouldn't want him spreading her story around the city. He definitely longed to tell someone, anyone, but knew he'd have to keep this secret even from his closest friends for as long as possible.  
  
Rachel smiled at Joey. "Where've you been?"  
  
Joey sat down at the table next to Chandler and rested his arms on the wooden surface. "You know that extra on 'Days of our Lives' I told you about?"  
  
"Ooh, yeah! Did you guys finally, you know, get it on?" Phoebe, who was sitting across from him, leaned toward him excitedly.  
  
"No, but her cousin came to visit her yesterday and . . ."  
  
"You guys had a threesome?!?" Rachel guessed. She didn't like to picture it but that was how Joey was.  
  
"No, yeah, like that would happen!" Joey laughed. "But, the extra ordered pizza, and that one hot pizza delivery girl came. And I just said, 'how you doin'?' and I had her."  
  
"Then what was the point of you telling us about the extra and her cousin?" Chandler, who was silent until now, spoke up.  
  
"What cousin?" Joey asked.  
  
Everyone rolled their eyes except for Joey. He was looking around at his friends, puzzled, when something behind Rachel beyond the living room, in Chandler's bedroom, caught his eye. "Hey, did either of you girls leave your bra here?"  
  
Chandler didn't have to follow Joey's eyes to know what he was talking about.  
  
"No. You would like that though, wouldn't you?" Rachel asked, following his gaze, but not seeing what he meant.  
  
Phoebe grinned. "Why?"  
  
Joey was about to reply when he saw Chandler shoot him a 'shut up now if you want to live' look. "Oh, nothing, I . . . I guess I'm seeing things."  
  
Phoebe giggled. "Yeah, Joey always sees bras."  
  
The girls laughed as Joey looked at Chandler questioningly. Chandler said nothing in return, just sat there and hoped he could trust Joey. Joey would certainly ask later where the bra came from when Phoebe and Rachel left, but all he had to know was that Chandler had a girl over last night. And that was the truth. He was only leaving a thing or two out. Okay, quite a few things.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Dude, what was that about?" Joey asked eagerly, walking up to Chandler after seeing the girls out of the apartment.  
  
Chandler shrugged and pulled himself up into a sitting position on the kitchen counter. "I just met someone last night. Brought her back to the apartment . . ."  
  
"Why couldn't you tell Rachel and Phoebe that?"  
  
'Uh-oh,' Chandler thought. 'Okay, think of something fast . . . fast!'  
  
"It was Janice." Chandler had been desperate for a reply and hadn't caught those three words until it was too late. 'Oh yeah, great job thinking fast.'  
  
"Oh my god! Janice?" Joey shouted.  
  
"Shh!" Chandler jumped off the counter and stood in front of Joey. "Yes, Janice. We met at . . . the bus stop."  
  
"Don't you know what this means though?!? Now you're gonna start going out with her and then it's not going to matter if anyone finds out cause they'll have already found out about the thing you don't want them to find out about!"  
  
"Oh, Joey, breathe. It's alright. We both agreed that last night was just well, last night. We're not gonna see each other again." Chandler had no idea what he was getting himself into when he said it was Janice. Joey was probably going to tell everyone anyway. He was sort of like Rachel in that way. Then Chandler realized that it didn't really matter if anyone found out. It wasn't actually Janice, it was Monica. Two very different people. Still . . .  
  
He sighed when he saw that Joey was still panicking. Chandler couldn't believe he was doing all this just to respect the privacy of a woman who he was probably never going to see again anyway.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
FIVE DAYS LATER  
  
"George?" Monica asked, wandering into the kitchen to find him sitting at the table, drinking as usual. He stared at the beer can with a blank look on his face.  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" He said it more as a statement than a question.  
  
"I'm going to a friend's house for the night," she winced, dreading his response.  
  
"Whatever." George took another swig of beer, not once glancing in her direction.  
  
She left the room and smiled to herself. She didn't know why he was acting like this, but she didn't really mind. He was either drunk or coming off a high of something, but as long as he didn't yell at her she was fine with it.  
  
Now she could only make her way across the street and hope that Chandler would be as happy to see her as she would him . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was a Thursday evening, about a half hour after Chandler returned home from work, and he had discovered Joey was at an audition. He was sitting in Joey's bark-a-lounger (sp?), since it was the most comfortable of the two, and watched nothing in particular on television when someone knocked on the door.  
  
He stood up, clicking off the TV and jogged to answer the door. His heart skipped a beat when he saw who was beyond it. "Monica."  
  
"Hey, Chandler."  
  
"Oh . . . my god, what-what are you . . .?" he stuttered, feeling mixed emotions over seeing her. He had been positive he would never see her again.  
  
"Doing here?" Monica laughed a little to herself. "I'm not sure actually."  
  
Chandler nodded, "Okay . . . well you can come in if you want to."  
  
She nodded also and stepped into the apartment, then walked over to a chair and took a seat. Chandler followed suit and they sat in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say in a situation like theirs.  
  
Monica didn't really surprise him when she stood and walked over to him, then after he made room for her she sat next to him on the chair and cuddled up against him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.  
  
She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes, realizing just how safe she felt in the arms of Chandler Bing. He also closed his eyes, marveling in the feeling of having her in his embrace again. What had happened? Just two weeks ago he had been this guy with no hope of ever finding love, just happy with his job and hanging with his friends . . . now he was with a girl who he might not really have a chance with, and his life didn't make any sense. But right now he was happy, right now all was fine. He found that if he didn't think about the future or the past, just focused on this moment, Chandler was completely happy, content. He was in love.  
  
You'll remember me when the west wind moves  
  
Upon the fields of barley  
  
You'll forget the sun in his jealous skies  
  
As we walk in fields of gold  
  
So she took her love for to gaze a while  
  
Upon the fields of barley  
  
In his arms she fell as her hair came down  
  
Among the fields of gold  
  
Will you stay with me, will you be my love  
  
Among the fields of barley  
  
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky  
  
As we lie in fields of gold  
  
See the west wind move like a lover so  
  
Upon the fields of barley  
  
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth  
  
Among the fields of gold  
  
I never made promises lightly  
  
And there have been some that I've broken  
  
But I swear in the days still left  
  
We'll walk in fields of gold, we'll walk in fields of gold  
  
Many years have passed since those summer days  
  
Among the fields of barley  
  
See the children run as the sun goes down  
  
Among the fields of gold  
  
You'll remember me when the west wind moves  
  
Upon the fields of barley  
  
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky  
  
When we walked in fields of gold  
  
When we walked in fields of gold  
  
When we walked in fields of gold  
  
~"Fields of Gold" Sting  
  
I'll have the next chapter up ASAP. Hopefully sooner than getting this one up. Lol, I apologize again for that. Anyway, review and tell me if you liked and if you think this story is actually worth writing! =) 


	4. The Plan

Hey! I'm so glad everyone's still interested in this story despite my long break from updating it. Thanks for the reviews!  
Also, I just want to note that when Phoebe and Rachel act all mad in this chapter, their anger is like it is on "Friends" most of the time - funny kind of. It's not like they're in a murderous rage or anything. Lol. Just wanted to clear that up.  
Okay, before I start, I'd like to thank some of the artists who have given me inspiration for my fictions so far (though they will probably will never see this because I can't really picture Eric Clapton going onto this site and reading Friends fanfiction . . . oh well lol) : Seal, Eric Clapton, Johnny Hates Jazz, Tonic, Roxette, Eddie Money, Cory Hart, Bob Carlisle, Evanescence, Wham, Heart, The Romantics, The Troggs, The Mamas and the Papas, Darren Hayes, Celine Dion, Crazy Town, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Hootie and the Blowfish, Kenny Loggins, Trapt, Linkin Park . . . lol, as you can see, I get a LOT of inspiration from music.  
Anyway, enjoy this chapter!  
  
Someone to Lean On Chapter 4: The Plan  
  
"Mr. Bing, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. We just got the results of the tests back and the pain you've been feeling appears to be only a type of stomach flu. It's abnormal for them to last this long but it's happened before." Doctor Aidalson refolded the file in his hands and looked to Chandler for a reply.  
  
Chandler nodded, feeling relief flood over him. He had definitely been worried about the persistent stomach ache whish had been bothering him for over two weeks now. "So, it's nothing serious?"  
  
"Not at all," the doctor confirmed.  
  
"Okay, great. Thank you so much." Chandler stood from the edge of the bed he had been sitting on, waiting for the results. He prepared to leave. "It will go away soon by itself, right?"  
  
"Yep, it should. You could take some simple pain relievers once in a while, that may help."  
  
"Alright, well, thanks again." Chandler shook the doctor's hand, and after paying what he owed for the visit to the office he headed home. As soon as he entered the cab he began reminiscing in the past weeks.  
  
Monica had been coming over almost every night, her excuse to George being that she had a night shift at a nearby gas station for a little extra money. It was lame, she knew, but the man had been so busy with drinking and getting high off some new drug he'd "discovered" that all he did was humor her. He was all for anything that would lead to buying extra beer.  
  
Monica and Chandler both knew that they were perfect for each other. Even though they regretted having to sneak around all of the time, they enjoyed the definite intimacy they shared. Even though they had had known one another for month or so, Monica fully trusted him. Once, she had lost all hope and faith in men; consequently that was right after she had discovered the 'real' George. She thought she was stuck with him forever. But with Chandler, she had the ability to be free. He didn't order her around - and she had yet to hear him yell.  
  
So far Chandler had managed to keep Monica a secret from all of his friends. For some reason which he couldn't explain he liked it better that way.  
  
When her brother, Ross, had returned from China and surprised Monica, she and Chandler encountered a problem. Ross still believed that she and George were still mentally together, and happy. In the end Chandler and Monica had decided to keep the affair from him, also. As much as she trusted her brother, she knew that with him finding out would come an even bigger chance for her parents to find out, and that was about the last she needed right now.  
  
Chandler desperately wanted her to just get it over with and break up with George. They both knew that would solve all of their problems. However, Monica still didn't want to take the chance of her abusive boyfriend finding out the real reason why she was breaking it off: another man. Besides, that would also mean him moving out of her apartment and she was positive he was too lazy to actually get a job so he could afford his own place.  
  
Chandler's thoughts were interrupted when the taxi cap jerked to a halt in front of Central Perk. Currently, it was three in the afternoon. After telling Monica about his stomach the previous day, she had insisted that he go see a doctor about it immediately. So, he had taken today off work and scheduled an appointment.  
  
He paid and thanked the driver, then entered the coffee house and found Phoebe and Rachel sitting on the couch.  
  
"Hey, you guys are out of work early." Chandler sat in one of the comfortable chairs.  
  
The girls appeared to ignore him, simply glancing in his direction then hastily looking away.  
  
"Um, what's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing." Rachel looked straight ahead, pretending to be focusing on Gunther who was delivering some coffee, and Phoebe said the word in unison with her.  
  
"Seriously! You can tell me."  
  
"Oh, really?" Phoebe replied sarcastically. "Cause you can't seem to be able to tell us a whole lot."  
  
Chandler, surprised by the tone of her voice, said, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Oh, you know all too well what she's talking about, Mr. I Can't Tell My Own Friends About My New Great-As-Ever Fling."  
  
'Oh my god . . .' Chandler thought. "How-how did you know?"  
  
"Phoebe and I were headed back from drying laundry and were just about to go around the corner to our hall when we heard you two talking in your doorway. Apparently she had just arrived," Rachel answered.  
  
"What all did you hear?" Chandler's heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his hands. What if his friends had already told people at their jobs and then those people had told others? What if one of those people knew George in some way or another? He just hoped the chances of that would be slim, seeing how big New York City was.  
  
Phoebe shrugged. "Oh, we heard enough. How could you not tell us, Chandler?"  
  
Chandler sighed. If they already knew this much, he might as well make them feel better by letting them know what was really going on. As soon as they realized the severity of this, then he could trust them to keep it. "First of all, it's more than a fling. I'm in love with her."  
  
"Well, that's even more of a reason to tell us!" Rachel shouted, clearly upset.  
  
"Yeah," Phoebe said, "we would have been happy for you."  
  
"I know you would have, but it's so much more confusing than love, okay? Listen, it's a long story. Do you want me to explain or not?"  
  
Phoebe and Rachel looked at each other, silently agreeing that it wasn't worth it to be mad at him anymore. Finally Rachel turned back to him excitedly. "Hell yeah!"  
  
So, Chandler took the women up to his apartment for privacy and explained the whole situation to them. He was surprised at how good it felt to get it off his chest. When he was finished, they were all silent, contemplating what he had just said.  
  
Eventually Phoebe spoke up. "You're right, it is really complex."  
  
Chandler nodded. "Yeah, and the reason why I haven't told you two or Joey about it is because I'm so paranoid about this whole thing getting back to George."  
  
Rachel nodded also. "I can understand why Monica's scared, but why can't she just break up with the guy? There's nothing wrong with that. And then if he comes after her after that she could just file charges."  
  
"We've gone over that, but she just doesn't want to take the chance of something too bad happening before she would even have the opportunity to file charges. I guess George is that kind of guy." Chandler shrugged.  
  
Deep in thought, Phoebe said, "There's got to be some way out of this for you guys."  
  
"I know," Chandler leaned against the counter. He thought for a minute. The only visible way out of this would be to get Monica out of that apartment, and protect her until George lost interest. It would be risky - almost too risky - but it was possible, and as long as nothing bad happened to Monica, that was all that mattered. He thought on it some more for quite a while, then turned to his friends, "Okay guys, I have an idea, and I'm gonna run it by you. Now tell me if this sounds do-able, alright?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Monica Geller got home from work at the restaurant, she said a brief 'hi' to George, who was sitting in the living room with a beer can in hand, then quickly readied herself for her 'night job.'  
  
After she changed from her work clothes, she checked the small refrigerator in the kitchen to make sure that George had a reasonable supply of alcoholic beverages to last him until morning, so he at least couldn't yell at her for that reason.  
  
When Monica finally arrived at Chandler's apartment, she knocked five times softly on the door and waited impatiently for him to answer.  
  
He tugged open the door, greeting her with a smile, and after she entered and the two had said their 'hello's', they began kissing passionately. Usually when she came they just sat and talked about their days, told each other how much they had missed the other person. But once in while when they both had had bad days, no words could even begin to explain how much they longed to be together. This was ones of those days.  
  
Chandler wrapped his arms around her gently, and as soon as he got the chance, he mumbled the only words he really needed to say at the moment. "Live with me."  
  
Monica immediately pulled away and looked at him warily. "What?"  
  
"Live with me. Why not? We'd be together, and it would get you away from you-know-who." He had expected some argument from her, but he just kept wishing and hoping that, sooner or later, she would realize that this was about the only way they had a chance to be together, and her only chance to get away from George.  
  
"But . . . what if he comes after both of us? I don't want you to get hurt."  
  
"And I don't want you to get hurt either, that's part of the reason why I'm asking you this. Besides, if he did find out where you'd gone, I promise I'd do everything in my power to keep us both safe." Chandler had planned out a longer speech earlier, but as soon as Monica had begun to panic, he forgot it. At least he got the point through.  
  
She studied his eyes for a long moment, they finally said, "What would I tell him?"  
  
"To tell the truth I have absolutely no clue," he smiled slightly. "But we'll think of something. I know I'm going with you though."  
  
"No, Chandler, don't. He's only going to get angrier." Monica didn't like to think about exactly how mad George would get.  
  
"He's going to get angry anyway, so unless you really don't want me there, I want to be there to back you up."  
  
She finally smiled, then hugged him tightly. "Thank you Chandler. You're so sweet. You're right, this is really gonna work, isn't it?"  
  
He smiled too, breathing in the fresh strawberry scent of her hair, still lingering from this morning's shower. Of course he had doubts as to whether it really was going to work, and he wasn't positive that he could defend himself, let alone Monica too if George got too mad. Those things were the reasons why he was surprised when his voice sounded sure and steady. "Yeah, it is."  
  
After a moment's silence, Monica pulled away again, this time slowly, and ran a finger along his cheek. "How did your appointment go today?"  
  
"Good," he said softly. "Apparently it's just a stomach flu. I guess they've been known to last this long before."  
  
She nodded and kissed his lips, then pulled herself up into a sitting position on the counter. Grinning, she said, "Man, my night job at the gas station is tough."  
  
He laughed, "Really now?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm telling you, it's all worth it."  
  
"I'm glad to hear that."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At about seven in the morning the next day, a Saturday, Monica woke and looked over at Chandler's sleeping form. She was content until she remembered what the two had decided to get done today. Only a couple hours from now they would be headed across the street, hoping for the best reaction from George.  
  
As if he sensed that Monica was awake, Chandler opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Hey babe."  
  
She smiled back, leaning over to give him a good morning kiss.  
  
He glanced at the clock. "Do you still want to do this?"  
  
"I'm not really looking forward to this part, but if it means being with you I'm all for it. I just hope he's drugged up on something, because then if we tell him he'd just look at us and obey." Monica didn't feel bad at all for wishing someone was so high that they were willing to do anything you asked, because that someone was George.  
  
Chandler nodded, turning over onto his side and putting an arm around her. "Just know I'm gonna be there if you need somebody for reassurance, or even if you need someone to knock some sense into the guy."  
  
Monica grinned. "As fun as that would be to watch, our relationship is confusing enough without harassment charges on top of it."  
  
He laughed. "Darn. You're right though, I'll keep my distance."  
  
Monica laughed also, than they both were silent, thinking and wondering how the day would turn out. Kissing Monica's cheek, Chandler was oblivious to the fact that inside, his body was fighting a battle of its own.  
  
Circling your head, contemplating everything you ever said  
  
Now I see the truth I got a doubt  
  
A different motive in your eyes and now I'm out  
  
See you later  
  
I see your fantasy, you want to make a reality paved in gold  
  
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah  
  
Well now that's over  
  
I see your motives inside, your decision to hide  
  
Back off we'll take you on, headstrong to take on anyone  
  
I know that you are wrong, headstrong, we're headstrong  
  
Back off we'll take you on, headstrong to take on anyone  
  
I know that you are wrong, and this is not where you belong  
  
I can't give everything away  
  
I won't give everything away  
  
Conclusions manifest, your first impression's got to be your very best  
  
I see you're full of sh** and that's alright  
  
That's how you play, I guess you get through every night  
  
Now that's over  
  
I see your fantasy, you want to make it a reality paved in gold  
  
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah  
  
Well now that's over  
  
I see your motives inside and your decision to hide  
  
Back off we'll take you on, headstrong to take on anyone  
  
I know that you are wrong, headstrong, we're headstrong  
  
Back off we'll take you on, headstrong to take on anyone  
  
I know that you are wrong, and this is not where you belong  
  
I can't give anything away  
  
I won't give everything away  
  
I know, I know all about  
  
I know, I know all about  
  
I know, I know all about  
  
I know, I know all about your motives inside, your decision to hide  
  
Back off we'll take you on, headstrong to take on anyone  
  
I know that you are wrong, headstrong, we're headstrong  
  
Back off we'll take you on, headstrong to take on anyone  
  
I know that you are wrong, and this is not where you belong  
  
I can't give anything away  
  
I won't give everything away  
  
This is not where you belong  
  
Okay, that's it for chapter four! I hope you liked it and want to hear more. Please review and let me know! That song at the end is "Headstrong" by Trapt. I know it's a little violent for the fic, but it's not like it's between Monica and Chandler or anything. I guess it's kind of between Monica/Chandler and George. Besides I just like the song and wanted to put it in here. Lol 


	5. Dream On

Hello peeps! What's up? Thanks for the reviews. Here's the fifth chapter. Hope you guys still want to hear more . . . cause you're getting it! ;) Also, the reason why I don't really spell out the "f" word in this chapter is because I'd feel really guilty if I did. For some reason. Don't ask. =D  
  
Someone to Lean On Chapter 5: Dream On  
  
Monica halted outside her apartment door, than spun around to face Chandler who was standing behind her. "Do we really have to do this? I mean, seriously. I could just move in with you - he probably wouldn't even notice I was gone."  
  
Chandler smiled slightly, understanding exactly what she meant. He tucked a strand of silky hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. No words were needed for his reassurance.  
  
She nodded, turning back toward the door. "Right, I know. I just . . . I'm worried about how he'll respond." Monica took a deep breath and carefully turned the knob, opening it slowly to prevent it from creaking.  
  
Chandler put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he followed her quietly into the apartment. After looked around the living room, Monica called out hesitantly, "George?"  
  
Just a split second after her shout, and large muscular man with a beer bottle in hand strode out of the other room. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over-" he started, before finally noticing Chandler. "Who the hell is this?"  
  
"This-this is . . . John Mills. He's a friend of mine." Monica had predicted that George would ask, so she had decided to give him a fake name, just in case he ever had a reason to come looking for Chandler. And she was sure he would find some excuse to do so.  
  
George looked Chandler up and down, an angry scowl on his face. "How close of a friend is he?"  
  
"It doesn't really matter, because, well . . . I'm going to have to ask you to move out." She bit her bottom lip, awaiting the man's response. Feeling the warmth of Chandler's body behind her gave her some courage, but Monica knew George well enough to take some of that courage away. She could already see the fury burning in his eyes, and could only slightly read what he was thinking.  
  
"What?!?" he yelled. "What the f*** are you talking about?"  
  
George was just what Chandler had expected. From listening to all of Monica's stories, his mind had formed an image of a man exactly like this one. A man who had enormous amounts of both physical and emotional strength, and a man who used that strength all too much. A man who believed he deserved power over all those around him, and who usually got it so he expected no less.  
  
Chandler desperately wanted to say something to help Monica, but that need was won over be the knowledge that the less talk this event involved, the sooner it would be over with.  
  
"We're in a relationship, Monica, so we need to live together." George's voice gradually softened throughout that sentence, and Chandler could sense that he was trying his best to throw a guilt trip.  
  
"I-I don't want to be in a relationship with you, George. I'm just- I'm not happy and I think, I know that I would be if you just left." Monica's voice shook as she said the words, and her heart was racing. Why couldn't he let her go with a fight? It would be much easier on both of them. But George wasn't that type of guy. He made everything harder than it should be.  
  
George once again looked at Chandler, than slowly shook his head. "It's because of this guy, isn't it? You've been having an affair with him."  
  
It was then that Chandler started thinking that maybe it wasn't the best idea for him to accompany Monica here. He just hadn't wanted to not be there, in case George had refused to obey her order. He just hoped that being here wasn't causing any more trouble then usual.  
  
Monica didn't deny a word George said, just pointed at the door and said firmly, "Get out, now. You can come back later and I promise you I will have all your belongings waiting for you outside the door in the hall."  
  
"I can't believe this. I'm getting kicked out of my own apartment."  
  
"I don't know if you understood the first few times I told you this, but I pay the rent on this place so legally, it's mine. If you don't leave now I can go ahead and call the landlord and let him know you are staying against my will." She hated to use the whole, 'if you don't do what I say I'm going to tattle' type of attitude, but she had learned from past experiences that it was the only thing that actually worked in a lot of situations.  
  
George slammed his beer down onto the entertainment center and glared at Chandler and Monica menacingly. "This isn't over." With that he exited the apartment, making sure to slam the door hard behind him.  
  
Monica watched him retreat, not knowing what to think of those last words. Tears sprang to her eyes. Why? She hated the guy, truly, deeply, hated George. So she didn't understand why his departure was affecting her like this. Monica turned to Chandler who was studying her with a worried expression on his face.  
  
"Why is this so hard?" she asked him, frustrated, not really expecting an answer.  
  
Chandler said nothing, just made eye contact with her as he wiped a tear gently from her cheek with his thumb, then wrapped his arms around her.  
  
Monica finally lost control and began sobbing into his shoulder. She found it hard to believe that she had just done that - broken up with George. Just two months ago Monica wouldn't have been able to. She really had lost any hope of getting out and had begun to face the fact that she was meant to me a prisoner in her own apartment, maybe for the rest of her life. She would have never been able to accept it, but knew she needed to face it if she planned on getting through it alive.  
  
But now here she was, free to do anything she wanted to do, and for some reason that hard to see, she was mourning the possibility that she had wasted the past six months.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I've been in one place for so long, that I've forgotten how fun packing is," Chandler commented the next day while he helped Monica pack her dishes and many other kitchen things into cardboard boxes.  
  
Monica smiled, knowing his sarcasm was only used jokingly. She felt great today. After having the rest of the day yesterday and all night to think on what had happened, and also think on her and Chandler as a couple, she felt almost positive she had done the right thing.  
  
There was a knock on the door, so Monica quickly handed Chandler some newspaper to wrap a bowl he had in his hands, and made her way over to the door. Checking through the peephole first, she was relieved to see that it was not George, but still felt a little nervous about confronting the person on the other side of the door. After hesitating, she finally opened it and greeted her brother with a bright smile. "Hey, Ross!"  
  
Chandler looked up from a white Corel plate he was wrapping and at Ross. As far as he knew, Ross still wasn't aware of Monica and Chandler's relationship.  
  
"Hi Mon. I just thought I'd stop by and see how my little sister's doing. And George, of course." Ross smiled back. He was definitely happy to be back at his normal museum job in New York. He had missed his family and friends so much.  
  
"Thanks. I'm doing good. But one thing-I broke up with George," Monica decided to come right out and say it.  
  
"Oh, really? I'm sorry, were things just not working out anymore?" Ross asked sympathetically.  
  
"I . . . I guess you could say that." Monica turned away from Ross so he couldn't see her give Chandler a 'what was I supposed to say?' look. When she turned back to Ross, she noticed him regarding Chandler questioningly.  
  
"Oh, and um, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Chandler Bing." She gestured at him.  
  
"Wow! We've already met, haven't we?" Ross made his way over to Chandler.  
  
Chandler smiled, standing up from the table where he'd been sitting. He shook Ross' hand, deciding it was a good act considering what he would soon learn. "Yeah, roommates in college."  
  
"Right, right. It's great to see you again. And hey, I'm glad to see you got rid of the flock of seagulls hair cut."  
  
Chandler grinned. "I figured it was a smart choice when I still had it in '96 and it had yet to come back into style."  
  
Ross laughed, agreeing with him, than looked over at Monica. "So how did you guys meet?"  
  
"Um, we ran into each other in Central Perk." Monica just now realized how confusing and how hard their situation was going to be to explain.  
  
Nodding, Ross looked at the boxes on the floor. "Are you packing?"  
  
"Yeah, kind of. I'm . . . I'm moving in with Chandler."  
  
"What?! Why?"  
  
Monica felt bad for not having told her brother sooner, but she had figured he'd respond like this no matter when she told him. "Well, we're . . . you know . . . in love."  
  
Chandler walked past Ross and stood behind Monica, using her as a shield. He only had a few bad experiences with a girl's brother, and they weren't good memories. Like the time he had gotten drunk and fooled around with one of Joey's sisters. The worst thing about that was that he hadn't been able to recall which sister.  
  
"Why?" Ross asked again. "You guys met, like, what? A week ago? I mean, it had to be after George moved out, right?"  
  
"Actually, we met about a month ago. It was when George and I were still living together."  
  
"You were cheating on George?!"  
  
"I know it's a lot of information to digest Ross, but you've got to understand-George deserved it." Monica backed up a step, so she was closer to Chandler. She wasn't afraid of Ross, but she knew that he would be quick to fill his role as big brother. "I'm sorry I never told you before now, but he was abusive. I met Chandler and realized that I still had a way to escape."  
  
Ross looked upset and defeated. "I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner. Didn't you know you could trust me?"  
  
"I guess so, but you were in China, and I didn't want to bother you. Besides, I didn't want it to get back to mom and dad somehow."  
  
Nodding slightly, Ross hugged Monica tightly. "It's okay, I can understand that part. I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Then he kissed her forehead and pulled away, making eye contact with Chandler. "You're in love with my sister?"  
  
Monica took a couple of steps to the side, so that Chandler and Ross were standing face to face.  
  
Chandler nodded, expecting Ross to lunge at him any minute now.  
  
"Yes or no?" Ross asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you going to take good care of her?"  
  
"Yes, of course. I've never known anyone in my life that deserves it more than her," Chandler answered truthfully.  
  
Monica felt her eyes water when she realized Chandler meant every word he said.  
  
Ross nodded once again. "Okay, then you guys have my support, as long as you never, ever hurt her."  
  
"I won't, I promise." Chandler's eyes met Monica's, and she smiled meaningfully at him, than kissed him as she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. He placed an arm around her and kissed back gently.  
  
He really had meant everything he said. But he hadn't really comprehended how hard it would be in the future to keep that promise.  
  
Every time I look in the mirror  
  
All these lines in my face gettin' clearer  
  
The past is gone; it went by like dusk to dawn  
  
Isn't that the way, everybody's got their dues in life to pay  
  
I know nobody knows  
  
Where it comes and where it goes  
  
I know it's everybody's sin  
  
You got to lose to know how to win  
  
Half my life's in books' written pages,  
  
Live and learn from fools and from sages  
  
You know it's true  
  
All the things you do come back to you  
  
Sing with me, sing for the year  
  
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear  
  
Sing it with me, if it's just for today  
  
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away  
  
Sing with me, sing for the year  
  
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear  
  
Sing it with me, if it's just for today  
  
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away  
  
Dream on, dream on, dream on  
  
Dream yourself a dream come true  
  
Dream on, dream on, dream on  
  
Dream until your dream comes true  
  
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on  
  
Dream on, dream on, dream on  
  
Sing with me, sing for the year  
  
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear  
  
Sing it with me, if it's just for today  
  
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away  
  
Sing with me, sing for the year  
  
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear  
  
Sing it with me, if it's just for today  
  
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away  
  
~Aerosmith, "Dream On"  
  
Okay everyone, I need you review the heck out of this chapter! Last time I didn't know whether or not to continue! I mean, I enjoyed the reviews I did get, but I'd really appreciate more! So please tell me if you want a sixth chapter! =) 


	6. Out of Here

Okay so I was thinking about changing my pen name since there are so many "Victoria"s on this site. Actually it's not really changing, just adding to it. How does Victoria Ann sound to you?  
  
Thanks for all the reviews, and I'm sorry there've been so many long breaks between chapters.  
  
Here's the sixth! Hope you enjoy!  
  
Someone to Lean On Chapter 6: Out of Here  
  
Joey was preparing his favorite sandwich when Chandler entered the apartment with a dark-haired woman following closely behind him.  
  
"Hey, Joe," Chandler greeted his friend. "This is Monica. She-she's going to be staying with us."  
  
"Wow!" Joey shouted in excitement. "Girl roommate?!" He looked at Monica. "How you doin'?"  
  
Chandler knew where Joey was headed. "Don't even think about it."  
  
"Okay, okay. So you two are like . . . a couple?" When Chandler nodded, Joey continued. "Why didn't I know about her before now?"  
  
"Well, you did, kind of. Remember that one night when Janice and I got together and she left her bra here? And I made you swear to never tell anyone?"  
  
"Which night?"  
  
"The latest. See, this is Janice."  
  
Joey looked at Monica, studying her features, and then finally looked back at Chandler quizzically. "That's ridiculous!"  
  
Chandler sighed, and then explained the whole story, starting with that fateful night a little over a month ago. He told it with a lot of eye contact with Monica, his eyes searching hers. Joey had never seen his friend this in love. In the end Joey was a bit upset that he hadn't been told earlier, but agreed to let Monica stay there. He even offered to find his own apartment so that the two could be alone and have more privacy, but Monica and Chandler immediately interrupted and told him not to do that. Subconsciously they all knew that it was only the beginning of the relationship, and anything could still happen. Chandler hated to think about it, but he knew he had to consider it.  
  
After that, the three of them headed across the hall to introduce Monica to Phoebe and Rachel. Since those two already were aware of the situation, this introduction took less time. They let Chandler know how proud they were of him for standing up for Monica and helping her face George, and how much they admired Monica for what she had gone through.  
  
While the girls sat on the couch and chatted about various things, Joey dragged Chandler into the kitchen, saying he needed to talk to him in private.  
  
"What is it?" Chandler questioned quietly, once they were standing near Phoebe and Rachel's refrigerator and out of the girls range of hearing.  
  
"Do you know what you're doing?"  
  
"It depends. What are you talking about?"  
  
"Monica. You've only known each other for a month. Are you really ready to get into this serious of a relationship? What happened to the Chandler who had a huge fear of commitment?"  
  
Chandler sighed and leaned against the counter. "I'm not sure what happened to him. I guess it's just . . . different with Monica. It's nothing like what it was with the other women. I can't really explain it, but I'm in love with her. Besides, moving in with me was one of her only chances to get away from George."  
  
"Alright, I just hope you're not jumping into something that you'll regret later." With that Joey walked off, and Chandler was left standing in the kitchen alone, puzzled. He couldn't help but think that their conversation was a little deep for Joey. He looked into the living room at Monica, who was laughing at something Phoebe said. Chandler had to smile when he saw how happy she looked. He wondered when the last time was that she had actually been able to sit and talk to some friends. She looked happier than he had ever seen her before, and he was glad that he was most likely partly the cause of that.  
  
Chandler finally shook off any doubts Joey had given him by telling him those things, and wandered over to Monica. Leaning down slightly, he gently kissed the side of her neck, causing a shiver to run through her body. She turned her head and smiled at him.  
  
'Everything will be fine,' Chandler thought. 'See, Joey? The old Chandler isn't quite gone, but I'm working on it.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Monica woke up late that night with the feeling that she was going to be sick. She jumped off of the bed and ran to the bathroom, leaning over the toilet. After a minute she felt a presence behind her and was able to turn around for long enough to see it was Chandler and to acknowledge him before she was forced to turn back to the toilet again. Chandler knelt down next to her, putting a hand carefully on her back and stayed by her, comforting her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, which was a Sunday, Chandler woke on his bed with Monica huddled in his arms, her head resting on his chest, sleeping peacefully. He was surprised he had been able to fall asleep in an upright position, and still had been able to wake up without any neck pain.  
  
The previous night was still fresh in his memory even though it had seemed like he had been sleep walking at the time. After Monica had been sick in the bathroom for several minutes, she had decided that was hopefully it. The two had cuddled in the bedroom, Chandler holding a cold washrag on her forehead, trying to calm her fever. He assumed they had fallen asleep like that because here they were, a few hours later at eight in the morning, still in the same position.  
  
Chandler lifted his head from the wall where it had been resting, and put a hand lightly on Monica's temple. It didn't feel too hot at all so he smiled and gently kissed her cheek.  
  
Monica slightly lifted her head, then realizing they were Chandler's arms she was in, relaxed again. "Is it light out already?" she asked groggily.  
  
"Yes, believe it or not." Chandler smiled again. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"I think I'm feeling a lot better . . . just tired"  
  
"Understandable. I'm glad you're feeling better though."  
  
Monica sat up, grinning at him. "Me too! Last night was not fun, at least on my part."  
  
Chandler nodded. "It wasn't fun on my part either. But the cuddling was pretty enjoyable, do you agree?"  
  
"True, that was nice. I really appreciate you staying up with me."  
  
"It's no problem. Anytime."  
  
Monica hesitated and then ran a hand playfully through his ruffled hair. "Nice hair."  
  
"Really?" Chandler laughed, trying to smooth it out. "You like that?"  
  
"Oh, definitely," Monica said, adding a jokingly seductive tone to her voice. "It's very . . . sexy."  
  
Chandler smiled. "Actually I need to get it cut. Badly. A few months back it wasn't hanging in my face like this."  
  
"It's not hanging in your face. Actually at the moment it's sticking straight up in the air." She winked and continued. "Besides, I like it longer like it is now."  
  
"Well in that case the cut can wait." He smiled and pulled her gently into his arms again. After a few minutes' silence, he spoke up. "I like this," he murmured into her hair.  
  
"I do, too. I'm so glad I can finally stay here for as long as I want without having to worry about getting back to my apartment on time."  
  
Chandler nodded. "That reminds me, we've got some more moving to do today."  
  
"Aw, forget it. I can buy new stuff." Monica smiled, only half joking. She really didn't want to return to that place, afraid that all the bad memories would come back. "We could go on a shopping spree instead, couldn't we? I mean, I do have a few hundred dollars in clothes to replace."  
  
Smiling, Chandler said, "Sure, we could do that, after we empty out your apartment so that the landlord has nothing to complain about."  
  
"Fine, you're right." Monica kissed him then stood up, happy when she did not feel a bit queasy from the previous night. She got dressed and readied herself for a long day.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
* knock * knock *  
  
"My god, I'm coming!" Rachel shouted when she heard the third knock on the apartment door. She rushed out of the bathroom where she had been styling her hair for the day, and went to the door. Opening it, Rachel said, "What?"  
  
A tall black-haired man, who looked around thirty, smiled at her. "Hey, I'm Ross Geller. I'm looking for Monica?"  
  
"Oh . . . sorry. What's you're relationship with her?" Rachel asked; weary that it might be George masquerading as a friend of Monica's just to get to her.  
  
"She's my little sister. Well actually she's not my LITTLE sister, but you know. She's younger than me."  
  
"Right." Rachel smiled. "She told me about you. Actually she's living right across the hall there." She pointed at apartment nineteen.  
  
"Okay, thanks. And um . . . who are you?" Ross questioned.  
  
"Rachel Green. I'm a friend of Chandler's."  
  
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ms. Green." Ross held out his hand which she accepted, shaking it.  
  
"Please, call me Rachel. I have a feeling we're gonna know each other for a while, seeing how close Chandler and your sister are."  
  
Ross smiled. "I know. They really seem like they're meant to be together, huh?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. They do. It's kind of amazing."  
  
"I know." Ross began to turn to the other apartment when he stopped, getting an idea. He turned back to Rachel. "Hey, I've got kind of a crazy question. I'd understand if you said it's weird . . . but maybe I could take you out to dinner sometime, possibly?"  
  
Rachel was taken off guard by the question, but she did find the man attractive. She contemplated saying no, though, because of Chandler. Then she realized that there was really not a good reason for him to not like that. Monica might, but Rachel decided she would understand. She grinned. "That sounds great. I'll give you my phone number." Rachel quickly scribbled it on piece of notepad paper, and handed it over. "I'll be looking forward to your call, Ross Geller."  
  
He smiled and nodded, then said goodbye and went across the hall to visit with his sister.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
TWO WEEKS LATER  
  
Monica entered the supermarket, today being her designated grocery shopping day. She picked up a few fruits and vegetables then headed over to get some shampoo and conditioner. Once there, she was reaching for a bottle when she happened to glance in the opposite isles where the pads, tampons, pregnancy tests, and other things like that were.  
  
She dropped the bottles in the cart then wandered over to that isle. She picked an item off a shelf, studied it. This might reveal the answer to why she had been feeling sick once in a while lately, but she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. Finally Monica placed the item into the cart.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night, after waiting until Chandler was fast asleep, Monica slipped quietly out of bed. She crept to the bathroom, trying to prepare herself for the results of what she was about to do.  
  
A half hour later, she stood in the room as silent tears rolled down her face. She wrapped something in a Kleenex and slipped it into her pocket. Monica had already changed into jeans and a sweater, and a note was awaiting morning on the kitchen counter.  
  
Monica went silently back into the bedroom and kissed Chandler gently on the cheek, careful not to wake him. She walked back to the door, turned around. "Thank you," she whispered, and then she left the room; the apartment; the city.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chandler woke early in the morning and went to wrap his arm around Monica, but realized she wasn't there. He opened his eyes and searched the room. She couldn't already be at work, usually she left after him and he didn't have to be at work for another hour and a half.  
  
He got out of bed and looked for her throughout the rest of the apartment. There was no trace of Monica except for her clothes in her dresser and her beauty supplies and bath robe hanging on the door in the bathroom. Chandler was about to exit the place and go across the hall to check there when a white piece of paper lying on the counter top caught his eye.  
  
Chandler reached for it and unfolded it. As he read, he felt his heart start pounding and he suddenly had trouble breathing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Chandler,  
  
Thank you for everything. For rescuing me, for caring for me. I'm so sorry but I have to leave now. Don't try to find me. It doesn't have anything to do with you. Find someone else who deserves you and live out the rest of your life in peace and happiness. Please, do that for me.  
  
Monica ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She said "I'm fine, I'm okay," cover up your trembling hands  
  
There's indecision when you know you ain't got nothing left  
  
When the good times never stay  
  
And the cheap thrills always seem to fade away  
  
When will we fall  
  
When will we fall down  
  
Jump back, got to get out of here  
  
Been too, too long this time  
  
Jump back, got to get out of here  
  
When will, when will we fall down  
  
She hates her life, she hates her skin, she even hates her friends  
  
Tries to hold on to all the reputations she can't mend  
  
And there's some chance we could fail  
  
But the last time someone was always there for bail  
  
When will we fall  
  
When will we fall down  
  
Jump back, got to get out of here  
  
Been too, too long this time  
  
Jump back, got to get out of here  
  
When will, when will we fall down  
  
When will we, when will we fall down  
  
When will we fall  
  
When will, when will, when will we fall  
  
She said "I'm fine, I'm okay," cover up your trembling hands  
  
There's indecision when you know you ain't got nothing left  
  
For the last time conscience calls  
  
For a good friend I was never there at all  
  
When will we fall  
  
When will we fall down  
  
Jump back, got to get out of here  
  
Been too, too long this time  
  
Jump back, got to get out of here  
  
When will, when will we fall down  
  
When will we, when will we fall down  
  
When will we fall  
  
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! You probably know what's happening already, but I decided to leave it at a cliffhanger anyway. PLEASE REVIEW!! Tell me if you like!!!!!  
  
Have any of you seen the Lifetime movie "Deadly Relations"? A couple weeks after I started this I saw that movie and noticed that Matthew Perry's character is named George on that. Lol, oh well?  
  
Also, farewell to BluEyes! 


	7. New York Minute

Thank you all so much for the reviews! They definitely give me inspiration and urge me to continue. I'm so sorry it's been so long since I updated! It's a long story. Lol. As you can see, I changed my pen name to Victoria Ann. I was going to do 'Victoria Anne' with an 'e', but thought the other way looked better. Besides, it's my middle name. Of course, neither is better than 'Victoria Perry', but you know. lol.  
  
Disclaimer (I thought I might be due for another of these): I do not own any of the settings or characters from the TV show "Friends." They belong to Warner Bros. Television, and Bright Kauffman and Crane Productions. * sigh *  
  
Someone to Lean On Chapter 7: New York Minute  
  
Monica ducked silently into the yellow taxi she had just flagged down and told the driver the address to her parent's house. She figured that she might as well hide out there for the time being while she contemplated what to do with herself. She wasn't sure what she would tell them, but it was a fairly long drive and she still had time to think on it.  
  
While the car drove off toward its destination, she turned in her seat and stared through the back window at the apartment complex in which she had resided happily for only a couple of weeks. The familiar light_up Central Perk sign shined brightly, and normally would look very welcoming to her on any other night.  
  
Was she doing the right thing? Even though they hadn't exchanged those three special words yet, she really did love Chandler. She just wasn't sure on how he'd react to her news. Monica liked to imagine him just being happy; hugging her and congratulating her on something she had wanted and dreamed of for so long. But the only reason why she doubted running was because she knew how he would really feel inside. She just couldn't do that to him. He had agreed to taking her in, rescuing her from that dungeon with George, but he hadn't agreed to this. They hadn't even discussed it yet. It was too much, too soon.  
  
Why did this have to happen? Just when she was happy and was with someone she had a definite connection with. So far for her, life had been full of surprises. Monica wished she hadn't given into George that one night three weeks ago. If she hadn't, this certainly wouldn't be happening right now. She would be safe, back in bed with Chandler, sleeping while feeling the security of his arm around her.  
  
She leaned her head against her window as the bright city lights flashed by. Tiredness finally kicked in, but she couldn't possibly fall asleep now. Not after she had probably just broken the heart of the only man she had ever truly loved.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chandler felt the need to vomit, but the feeling was more emotional than anything else. He studied the rushed handwriting on the small piece of paper and gradually Monica's words sunk in. He needed to talk to someone, to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. This was what he had feared would happen all along, and now that it had actually happened, it felt like a, all-to-real nightmare.  
  
He walked quietly across the hall, barely taking his eyes off of the note. After a few knocks, Phoebe answered the door. She was still in her pajamas, and looked like she had just woken up. Immediately she knew something must have been up because Chandler never came over this early in the morning. Rachel and her usually didn't see him until he got out of work in the afternoon. When she saw the look on his face her fears were confirmed. "What is it, Chandler? What's wrong?"  
  
Chandler handed her an unfolded piece of paper and she got the point, reading carefully over the scribbled writing. She had to scan over it again when she was done just to be sure she had read right. Phoebe looked back up at Chandler, who was now visibly shaking.  
  
"Oh, my god. Come in here, Chandler. Sit down." She put an arm comfortingly around him and guided him to the couch, where he sat heavily down and was silent.  
"When did you find this?" she asked, referring to the paper in her hand as she sat next to him.  
"Just now."  
  
"I can't believe it. She's actually gone?"  
  
Chandler nodded. He studied the room's carpeting, feeling completely useless. But what was he supposed to do when Monica had left without a trace and no clues to tell him where she was and why she was gone?  
  
Phoebe looked at him, worry etched on her face. Finally she stood and walked over the phone, dialing Ross' number. After a few rings, he answered and Phoebe heard him yawn.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Ross."  
  
"Oh, hey Phoebe. I thought from the caller ID that maybe it was Rachel. We had THE most amazing date last night-"  
  
"That's great, but it's not what I called to talk about." Phoebe glanced at Chandler, then moved to the corner of the kitchen, asking quietly, "Have you seen Monica?"  
  
"Um, I saw her yesterday morning when I stopped by for breakfast. Why?"  
  
"She . . . left a note this morning for Chandler telling him thank you for everything, and now she's gone." Phoebe lowered her voice even more, for some reason not wanting Chandler to hear someone else say what was really happening for fear the truth hadn't yet sunk in for him.  
  
"Oh my god, are you serious?" Ross asked, his voice full of worry.  
  
"Yes. Are you sure you haven't heard anything from her? Anything about where she went?"  
  
"No, I'd tell you if I had, unless Monica had a really good reason for leaving. How's Chandler?"  
  
Phoebe let her eyes travel to Chandler, who was still staring at the floor with an expression on his face which she had never seen on him before.  
  
"Not good." She hesitated, deciding there was nothing else Ross could do but help her look for Monica. "Well, tell me if you hear anything from her, okay? And maybe you could call your Mom and Dad later, check if they've seen or heard anything?"  
  
"Will do. Good luck." Ross said goodbye and then hung up the phone. He considered calling work up and taking the day off to look for his sister, but finally decided that Monica had simply had some doubts and had to run off to dwell on them for a while. Nevertheless, he was still concerned about her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Why do you need to stay here? I'm okay with it, but I need to know why."  
  
Monica wasn't sure what to say when her mother asked that question. No matter what she told her, she knew somehow there was that possibility it could get back to Chandler about where she was, and she didn't want that; not yet. She shrugged. "I told you, I just need some time to think certain things through. And I know how hard this is gonna be, but please don't tell anyone except for dad about me being here?"  
  
"But sweetie, what about your brother? He's going to be worried." Judy Geller was standing a few feet away from the couch where her daughter was sitting, looking lost.  
  
Monica thought for a moment. "If Ross calls or stops by let me talk to him."  
  
Judy nodded. "Okay. But as soon as you're willing to talk, I'm willing to listen, alright?"  
  
"Alright, thanks mom."  
  
Her mother nodded once again and then left the room, leaving Monica alone with her many thoughts. She lay back against the back of the couch and hugged a pillow to her, closing her eyes. A million things were running through her head and she willed them to go away, only wanted some peace and quiet in order to rest for a while. She wanted to see Chandler again, to be able to go back to normal with him and forget all about the recent incident, even though she knew all too well that that was impossible.  
  
Finally she gave up trying to rest and stood, walking over to the room's stereo, hoping that some music would calm her down enough to think things through thoroughly. Momentarily after pressing the radio power button, the voice of Don Henley drifted softly across the room.  
  
I pulled my coat around my shoulders and took a walk through the park  
  
The leaves were falling around me, the groaning city in the gathering dark  
  
On some solitary rock, a desperate lover left his mark:  
  
"Baby, I've changed. Please come back."  
  
Monica sighed and sat back down on the couch, closing her eyes once again and prepared to let the song clear her mind. However, whenever she managed to start to drift off to sleep, an image of Chandler entered her mind and she was awoken again.  
  
In a New York minute, everything can change  
  
In a New York minute things can get pretty strange  
  
In a New York minute, everything can change  
  
In a New York minute  
  
("New York Minute" by Don Henley)  
  
She suddenly found herself even more upset, angry that she had done this to him. He had been nothing but good to her; Monica at least owed it to him to be honest. The only reason why she hadn't told him the truth was because she was afraid of losing him. She didn't know how he would react if she simply walked up to him one day and said, "Sweetie, I'm pregnant. By the way, it's not yours."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
LATER THAT DAY  
  
"Hey guys! You would never believe the day I had." Rachel hung her jacket on the coat rack by the door when she came home. Phoebe and Chandler were sitting in the living room and Phoebe turned to her.  
  
"So I was sitting in my office, and guess what? My boss came in and told me that since I'm doing so good at my job . . . " she stopped when she saw the look on Phoebe's face. "What?"  
  
Phoebe stood up and walked over to her. She answered her in a hushed tone. "Monica left."  
  
Rachel looked confused. "Oh, okay. Well, that's fine, she doesn't need to be around for this news. I can tell her later."  
  
"No, I mean she really left. She's gone. She left a note for Chandler telling him not to look for her."  
  
"Oh my god. Really? Why?"  
  
"I don't know. If I knew I would have found her by now and tried to convince her to come back. And I don't know what to say to Chandler because we've sat in silence for a long time now and I don't think there's anything I can tell him to make him feel better." Phoebe sighed and sat down at the kitchen table.  
  
Rachel sat in the chair next to her. "There must be some way we can help . . . did you call Ross?"  
  
"Yes, he hadn't heard anything. He said he'd try to get a hold of his parents later though."  
  
Nodding, Rachel sighed in thought also and looked over at Chandler, who was still sitting as still as a statue on the couch. Though the television was on and he was looking at it, his mind seemed to be somewhere else, his eyes staring through the screen to someplace other than the daytime soap operas which were unfolding themselves at this time of the day.  
  
"I'm so sorry I bummed you out."  
  
"That's alright, Phoebe! It's not your fault."  
  
"I know . . . I just-"  
  
"I know."  
  
" . . . So, what were you going to say about work?"  
  
Rachel thought for a moment, looking shocked. "I can't remember! I guess it wasn't anything too exciting then."  
  
Smiling, Phoebe nodded her head. When she looked out into the living room, she suddenly felt terrible for smiling when Chandler was going through such an awful thing. She stood up. "I'm going back out there. At least I could give him company, even if I can't think of anything to say."  
  
Rachel agreed, standing up too. "I'll come out also. I guess all we can do is wait."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After rushing out of the bathroom with her bathrobe wrapped around her, Judy Geller answered the ringing phone. "Hello, Geller residence."  
  
"Hi Mom, it's Ross."  
  
"Oh, hi, Ross! How are you?"  
  
"Alright. Um, listen. Monica's missing, and I think she might've come to you. I'm really worried about her. We all are. So is she there?" Ross hoped with all his heart that Monica really was there, and that what he was doing now wasn't just getting his mother concerned.  
  
Following a moment's hesitation, Judy decided to give in right away. After all, Monica had said that if Ross called to let her talk to him. "Yes, she is. Hold on a minute, I'll get her."  
  
"Oh, thank God," he said even though Judy had already set down the phone and wandered off to find her daughter. Ross didn't know if this was entirely good news, but at least he knew she was safe. He waited patiently until Monica picked up the phone a minute later.  
  
"Hey Ross." Her voice sounded sad, and Ross could tell she was tired just by the way she said those two words.  
  
"Monica, we're all so concerned for you. Please, I know you probably don't want to talk to anyone right now, but I need a reason."  
  
Monica sighed. It had been a long night; she hadn't been able to sleep any more than thirty seconds the entire night. And now, talking to Ross, guilt filled her because she realized just how much she must have scared everyone. "If I tell you, you must promise not to say a word to Chandler about it. If he's worried, you can tell him I'm alright. It wouldn't surprise me if he's more angry than anything else right now though."  
  
"He's not angry at all, that I know of. He's a mess though. I'll tell him you're safe." Ross wasn't happy about keeping so much from his new friend, but if it meant Monica telling him the truth, he was willing to.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm hungry. You guys want pizza? I'll order some pizza."  
  
Phoebe and Rachel looked over at Chandler in surprise. He hadn't spoken for at least two hours, and when he finally said something it was about food.  
  
Rachel shrugged, still studying him. "Sure, that sounds good. I can pick it up."  
  
"No, that's fine. I can get it. Thanks anyway," Chandler stood up quickly and wandered over to the phone to call the pizza place.  
  
The girls exchanged a puzzled look before they both decided to go along with it. Now he wasn't acting as depressed as he had been a few hours earlier, and they assumed that was a good thing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A half hour later, Chandler exited apartment #20 and headed downstairs. To be honest, he wasn't really all that hungry. He had simply needed an excuse to get out of there without everyone asking where he was going and why. He appreciated his friends' concern, he just needed some time alone right now.  
  
Chandler was still shocked by what had happened early this morning. He could think of no reasonable explanation for Monica to just up and leave like she had. Unless she didn't love him, but if that was why, why had she agreed to move in with him? Maybe to get away from George? The possibilities were endless. Chandler tried his hardest to keep them out of his mind because he didn't like to think of Monica as the kind of girl who would use him like that. There had to be something that made more sense.  
  
He waved down a taxi and got in, telling the driver the address of the pizza place before settling into the backseat. Just when his mind had lost itself deep in thought, the other man spoke up. "She left ya, huh?"  
  
Chandler looked up in surprise. "What?"  
  
"Go on, look surprised. People think cab drivers are mindless, only knowing how to drive and the names of places. Well I'll have you know that we aren't as oblivious as you think."  
  
Knowing little of what the man was talking about, Chandler nodded slightly. ". . . Okay."  
  
"Seriously. I mean, I've driven you guys places before. You two were a couple; you were happy. But she certainly didn't seem happy when she had me drive her somewhere this morning."  
"You . . . you drove her somewhere?" Chandler asked. "Where? I need to know."  
  
"I cannot disclose that information, mister. But I can tell you that it's never good when a woman just leaves. Let me guess, she left a note, some sort of message. Am I right?" The driver drove on, not taking his eyes off of the road as he talked to Chandler.  
  
"Yeah, she did. But, she was alright though, right? When she left?"  
  
"I think so. Besides acting a little upset, I didn't notice anything wrong with her." He pulled the taxi parallel to the pizza place and placed it into park. "Here we are."  
  
Chandler sat silent for a moment. If the man was telling the truth, at least Monica had been okay when she left.  
  
He didn't know what else to say so he thanked and payed the driver, then exited the vehicle.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh my god. So . . . you're going to keep it, right?" Ross asked, after Monica had finished her story.  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am. Do you understand why I didn't, and can't, tell Chandler though?"  
  
"I can see why you would be worried about that, but in the little time I've known Chandler, years ago and in the past weeks, I don't think he'd be too upset."  
  
"I just . . . I don't want to take that chance. You know?"  
  
"I know. Call me any time you want, okay? I'll let him no you're alright, but I won't say anything else to him." Ross was disappointed. He really had thought Monica and Chandler would last. But then again, who was expecting something as drastic as this to happen?  
"Thanks, Ross, for being so understanding."  
  
"Hey, no problem sis."  
  
Monica said goodbye and then hung up the phone. She felt awful; both emotionally and physically. She felt like she could sleep for weeks, but at the same time knew that it would be impossible to sleep a minute without her dreams drifting to Chandler.  
  
Finally she attempted to convince herself that she was in fact doing the right thing, though her mind kept screaming the truth right back at her. Monica wandered off to say goodnight to her parents before watching some television in the family room, trying to distract herself.  
  
A/N: I know it's been a long time and you guys are probably pissed at me but please, please, pretty please review!!! Are you interested in hearing more?  
  
Hey, I have a quick question. How do you fix the uploaded chapters so that they look the way you want them to? i.e. Bold, Italics? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! 


	8. The Truth

Author's Note: And now, what seems like years later, I continue! Lol, I'm so sorry folks, I honestly am and I have excuses that you probably don't feel like hearing so I won't say them. Nonetheless, here's the eighth chapter, finally. Enjoy!  
  
*Riiing**Riiing*  
  
Chandler looked over at the phone, suddenly aware of its shrill ring. He didn't know how long it had been ringing. He'd been off in another world, wondering where Monica was. He'd like to believe that she really HAD had a good reason for leaving, but after thinking on it, he couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation for her absence. It was surprising how much he missed her already. He hoped to god that nothing bad had happened to her.  
  
Finally, Chandler leaned over and reached for the cordless phone, which was still persistent in its ringing, and pressed the button to answer it. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Chandler," Ross' voice said, with an edge on concern to it.  
  
"Hey, Ross. Are you calling from work?" Chandler tried to sound as normal and casual as possible, to keep his voice from wavering from the lack of sleep. But he knew his attempt was useless.  
  
The concern in Ross' voice increased when he began talking again. "Yeah. I tried to call your office but your assistant said you took the day off. Are you doing alright?"  
  
Chandler ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he had picked up years ago. "Oh, yeah . . . just a little tired, that's all."  
  
"Really? That's all?" Ross asked.  
  
Chandler was silent, knowing nothing really needed to be said.  
  
"Listen," Ross continued. "I talked to her."  
  
Surprised, Chandler stood up. That means she must be okay . . . "What? You talked to Monica?"  
  
Ross nodded, though he knew Chandler couldn't see that action. "She wanted me to tell you she's fine."  
  
"But why? Did she . . . did she tell you?" Chandler was speaking of the reason she left, and was pretty sure that Ross knew that.  
  
" . . . She told me."  
  
"I know she probably said not to tell me so I'm not even going to ask. But, I-I really need to know, was it, you know, was it . . ."  
  
Ross hesitated a long moment. He was half-tempted to tell Chandler every word of what Monica had said. Something was telling him that would be the right thing to do. But, he just couldn't betray Monica like that. He had promised her, after all. "It was a good reason."  
  
Chandler could hear the hesitation in Ross' words, and didn't know whether to believe him or not. He wanted to, he really did, but how the other man said it, it was obvious there was some uncertainty on his part. "Okay. Um, thanks."  
  
"No problem, man." Ross felt terrible. Chandler deserved to hear the reality of it all.  
  
Chandler said goodbye and then hung up the phone. He walked over to the door and retrieved his jacket from the coat rack. After slipping it on, he exited the apartment. He paused outside the door, trying to decide if what he was doing was really the best thing. But he just couldn't let her go like this. So far everything had led up to the conclusion that there wasn't any hope. When it came down to it, he really had nothing to lose and everything to be gained by doing this. If there was any resemblance of a chance he could talk once again to Monica, he was going for it.  
  
She had to be somewhere in New York City, and Chandler was going to find her before it was too late. If it wasn't too late already.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Rachel smiled when she saw Ross walk into her office. She stood up from her chair and walked up to him. He closed the door behind him, and the next second they were kissing.  
  
"I missed you," Ross muttered between kisses.  
  
Rachel smiled. "We just saw each other twelve hours ago."  
  
"Twelve hours can be a long time in certain situations."  
  
"I can agree with that." They kissed for a few more minutes, and then Rachel reluctantly pulled away an inch or two. "Any word from Monica?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, I got a hold of her."  
  
She pulled away even more, surprised. "Really? Is she okay?"  
  
"I think so - both her and my Mom said that -"  
  
"So she's at your Mom's?"  
  
"What? Oh, no! She's not."  
  
"Ross, you just said that-"  
  
"Okay so she is, but you can't tell anyone, alright? Especially Chandler. She's trying to stay out of sight for now."  
  
Rachel looked uneasy and glanced in the other direction.  
  
"You promise, Rach? He can't find out."  
  
Rachel nodded, and Ross kissed her tenderly on the lips. "I've got to get back to work."  
  
"Okay. Are we still on for tonight?"  
  
"Yep. See you then, alright?" They kissed again, and then Ross left.  
  
Rachel watched him go, then timidly picked up her office phone, pausing briefly before dialing her and Phoebe's number, since she knew Chandler said he was probably going to be there for must of the day. She caught him just as he was leaving.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chandler heard the phone ringing inside the apartment just as he was starting to walk down the hall. He hesitated; trying to choose whether of not he should go back in and answer it.  
  
Finally he went back into the apartment and over to the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Chandler. I um, think there's something you need to know."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Judy Geller walked over to the door after hearing someone knock. She looked through the peephole (she's subletting her own peephole, j/k lol, sorry), and saw a young man who didn't look familiar. Figuring it was just one of her husband's friends, she opened the door.  
  
"Hi," she greeted the man. "I'll go get Jack."  
  
He stopped her. "No, I'm not here for Mr. Geller. I'm looking for Monica."  
  
Judy regarded the man curiously. "Who are you?"  
  
"I . . . I'm Chandler Bing."  
  
"That's an interesting last name. It shows character. What do you want with Monica?"  
  
"I really need to talk to her. It's imperative."  
  
She considered him for a second, then said, "Wait here a minute."  
  
He nodded as she shut the door, and he turned to look past the porch at the weather. It was pouring, and lightening lit up the sky every five seconds, it seemed. Normally this type of weather would make him depressed, but tonight it had no effect on him. It only matched the way he was feeling.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Monica?" Judy peeked into the living room.  
  
"Yeah?" Monica sat up from where she had been watching the news.  
  
"There's a man here to see you."  
  
Monica's heart skipped a beat. "Who is it? It's not Ross?"  
  
"No, he says his name is Something-Bing."  
  
She was stunned. How could he have found out where she was? The only other person who knew where she was would be Ross, but he wouldn't give her whereabouts away like that, would he?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chandler looked up when the door opened and Judy Geller motioned him inside. He obeyed and immediately noticed Monica standing near the kitchen table. The look on her face was incomprehensible, but he could see anxiety in her eyes when she glanced up at him but instantly looked back down at the floor.  
  
"Oh my god, Monica." Chandler stopped a ways away from her, worried that she was going to dart away since she looked on the verge of it. He hated that he saw fear in her eyes and he couldn't remember doing anything to put it there.  
  
Judy looked back and forth between the two, assessing the situation. She could feel the tension in the air, but could also tell that Chandler wasn't planning on harming her daughter in any way. She slowly made her way out of the room to give them the privacy they so clearly needed.  
  
Monica refused to meet his eyes as she spoke. "You shouldn't be here."  
  
"Monica, I need to know . . . was it something I did? Cause if it was I swear I'll do anything humanly possible to fix it and take it back."  
  
She noticed the pleading tone to his voice and felt a wave of guilt rush over her. She still didn't look up as she said, "It wasn't anything you did, Chandler." She sighed, realizing how accurate that statement really was. "You were . . . great."  
  
Chandler didn't like that she was speaking of them using past-tense. He searched her face and tried to meet her eyes as he took a couple of steps toward her. "Then . . . why?"  
  
She finally looked up at him. She noticed the dark spots under his eyes and how weary he looked, and her heart hurt because she knew that she was the one who had done this to him. "You've just, you're got to promise not to be mad or freak out or anything, okay?"  
  
He slowly walked the rest of the way up to her, and looked down deeply into her eyes, saying in a soft voice, "Anything."  
  
"Um, back when I was still with George, about a week after I first met you, he, he wanted to . . . you know, and I was just too emotionally weak to refuse to give in to it, and, I . . ." She paused as she saw the realization of what she was saying cross over his face. "I'm pregnant, Chandler."  
  
Author's Other Note:  
  
There's the 8th. I know you guys probably weren't too taken aback at the end because I know I've already had Monica think that sentence before, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.  
  
If you're reading this, thank you so much for bearing with me and still being eager enough to read more. I appreciate it. And also if you're reading this, remember to click that little button down there to the left that allows you to leave a review. It's a wondrous invention! Lol, thanks peeps! "TTFN" 


	9. A Kiss That Means Everything

Howdy ya'll! =)

So I'm going to try to start updating in here about every week, even though I most likely just jinxed it by saying that.  Needless to say, 9th grade has been complicated so far this year. lol

            I really wanted to make this a song chapter but I couldn't find a song that really went along with it.  But if it helps, I was listening to while writing: "Butterfly Kisses" (Bob Carlisle), "I Drove All Night" (Celine Dion), "Kiss From A Rose" (Seal), and "Another Day in Paradise" (Phil Collins).  All great songs!  I recommend them. =)    

Anyway, here's the ninth chapter.  Enjoy.

Someone to Lean On

Chapter 9: A Kiss That Means Everything

It took a while for it to sink in.  Monica was pregnant—Chandler understood that much.  But this didn't really explain why she would leave without notice, did it?  Was she afraid he would be mad?  He couldn't remember doing anything that would make her think that.  

            He swallowed hard and turned away, not able to bear the look on her face anymore.  It was a mixture of pleading and fear.  Silence filled the room.  Why, why hadn't she told him?  Was she that scarred from George?  Chandler finally decided that that must have been it. It made his heart ache with the possibility that she actually believed he would hurt her, but after a jerk like her last boyfriend, he didn't blame her.

            "Chandler?" Her voice was so soft that it was barely audible.  

            He turned back to her and saw a tiny tear drop rolling down her cheek.  He lifted a hand to brush it away, pausing an inch from her face when she flinched slightly, then gently wiped it away with his thumb.

            Monica gazed up into his deep blue eyes, confused and touched at the same moment.  Chandler slowly leaned in and, while carefully putting his hand on the side of her face, kissed her lightly on the lips.  She couldn't help but tense at first, but slowly loosened at the kiss intensified.  

            It lasted for many long moments, and when the two pulled out of their embrace, Monica looked into his eyes again.  

            "I thought that you were going to be . . ."

            "Angry?"  He shook his head and kissed her again.  "No.  And . . . and if you want me to, I'll be as much a part of this baby's life as needed and more."

            "I can't believe you," Monica said slowly but softly, running a finger down the side of his face.

            He rested his forehead against hers and said in a voice close to a whisper, "Why's that?"

            "You did hear what I said, right?  About me being pregnant?"

            "Yeah."

            "And . . . it's not bothering you?"

            "No, I just somehow know that if we stick together we can make it through this."

            "You're not even mad that I left so unexpectedly?" Monica asked, trying to drag the truth out of him.  He couldn't really be this caring, could he?  No one had ever looked at her with the same passion that was in Chandler's eyes right now.

            "Not as long as you promise that you will _never_ do this to me again, okay?  You had me pretty worried there for a while."  

            She smiled for the first time in quite a while, and her eyes filled with tears- this time tears of happiness though- and she nodded in order to answer his question.  "You know what, Chandler?"

            "Huh?"

            "I love you."

            "I love you too."  The words came out of his mouth so automatically that it surprised him.  It was like a reflex—it just felt right.

            Then they kissed again, this time with even more feeling than the last time.  In the other room, Judy peeked into the kitchen to check on her daughter.  She was awestruck by what she saw.  She would have interfered, but then she noticed that that wasn't a kiss that just any two people shared.  It was a kiss that was shared by two people who were meant to be together for the rest of their lives.

            However long that might be.

~*~*~*~*~*~

**Two weeks later . . .**

            Chandler smiled when he entered the noisy waiting room and saw Monica sitting in one of the padded chairs.  

            "Hey gorgeous," he greeted her, sitting next to her in an empty chair.

            Monica grinned, but Chandler could still see nervousness in her eyes.  "Hey.  Thanks for leaving work early to meet me here."

            "No problem.  How long have you been waiting?"

            "I just got here a minute ago."  She looked up at him.  "Why am I so nervous?  I mean . . . it's just a check-up.  I've been to a couple of these already."

            Chandler shrugged.  "Before, they couldn't really make out anything on the screen.  They're thinking that this will be the first clear image of your baby."

            "Our baby."  Monica looked at him questioningly.  "Right?"

            He smiled and confirmed, "Our baby.  So anyway, that's probably why you're so nervous.  Most women do this . . ." he trailed off when he noticed the look on Monica's face.  "What?"

            Monica grinned.  "You seem kind of talkative—even for you.  Could someone else be just a little nervous too?"

            "What?  No!  Now, why would I be—" he saw the knowing look on her face.  "Yeah, just a little."

            They both nodded, and watched as a nurse entered the room, looking around.

            "Monica Geller?"

            "Yeah?" Monica jumped up, a bit too fast, almost knocking her chair over.  Chandler tried not to laugh as he steadied her chair, and then stood up also.  He put an arm around her as the nurse led them into a room in the maternity ward.

            The nurse smiled warmly at the two.  "Have a seat; the doctor will be with you in a second."  Then she left the room.

            When the door closed behind her, Chandler grinned and made an attempt to break the tension by sitting on the foot of the bed, where Monica was supposed to be.  He put a hand carefully on his stomach the way pregnant women do.

            Monica rolled her eyes, laughing, and gently pulled him off.  "Sorry, but I don't think the doctor will appreciate your humor."

            Chandler smiled.  "Oh well, worth a try."

~*~*~*~*~*~

            A half hour later, Chandler and Monica gazed upon the tiny image of their unborn child.  The doctor was silent as she held the tool in the best position on Monica's stomach.  Tears of joy flowed freely down Monica's cheeks, and Chandler was trying to hold back his own.

            At the moment, as he looked upon a picture on a screen of a child that he loved so much though it wasn't even his, he made a decision.  He wanted to be this baby's father.  He _wanted_ to love it as his own.     

            Chandler wanted to be with Monica forever, he wanted to be Monica's husband.

            Monica looked up at him, noticing how quiet he had suddenly gotten.  "What are you thinking?"

            Chandler kissed her forehead.  "I'm thinking about how much I love you."

            "Really?"

            "Yeah," Chandler paused, looking back to the screen.  "This kid's unbelievably lucky to have you as a mother."

            Monica blushed slightly and followed his gaze to the image.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Aw . . . Monica!" Phoebe cried when Chandler and Monica got home and handed her the printed out picture.  Rachel dashed up and looked over Phoebe's shoulder enthusiastically.

            Two weeks ago, when Chandler had gotten the news himself, he and Monica had gone back to his apartment, and then the next day they had broken the news to Rachel, Joey, and Phoebe.  Since Ross had already known, they were the last to find out.  They had all given (and were still giving) Monica overwhelming support.  Phoebe and Rachel had already started planning the baby shower, even though Monica was only a month and a half along.  

            "It looks just like you, Monica!" Phoebe suddenly shouted, thrilled.  

            Monica and Chandler exchanged a smile, silently agreeing not to object to their friend's remark.

            "I'm so happy for you guys!" Rachel exclaimed as she looked at the photo.  Then she looked up, glancing back and forth between Chandler and Monica.  "So, you guys have decided to raise it together?"

            The couple looked at each other again, then back at Rachel, nodding.

            "Yeah," Chandler said.  "I think so."

            He hoped he hadn't offended Monica with his last statement.  He hadn't meant anything bad by saying it, he just didn't know if Monica was having doubts about this whole situation yet, and definitely didn't want to make that decision for her.

            "That's so great!" Joey said, walking out of the bathroom, obviously having heard the last part of the conversation.  "I'm gonna have a nephew!"

            Chandler smiled.  "Who says it's going to be a boy?"

            "I do.  Because we all know that if it is, you're going to name it Joey, right?"

            "We'll have to think about that," Monica said considerately.  "I can't believe I haven't started thinking about names yet.  This is something I've waited my whole life for . . ."

            Rachel shrugged, and Phoebe said, "Oh, you'll have plenty of time for that.  Trust me, when I had my brother's triplets—"

            "What?" Monica asked, bewildered.

            "It's a long story," Chandler explained.

            "Anyway," Phoebe continued, "when I had my brother's triplets, the time just seemed to drag on.  Between the morning sickness and the mood swings, I had a whole bunch of time to contemplate things.  So really, Monica, the fun has just begun," she said sincerely.

            Monica smiled uncertainly and nodded.  "Um, thanks Pheebs.  I really appreciate you assurance."

            "Hey, anytime."

            Chandler put a consoling arm around Monica's shoulders and pulled her close against him, more things on his mind than just the joys of being pregnant.

            He found himself wondering how long the nearest jewelry store was open tonight.  

            A/N:

Yeah, I know I know that was a mushy chapter.  But I thought it was fairly important to the story so I wrote it.  Besides, I never thought a little mush hurt anybody, am I right? ;)

            Anyway, about the whole thing with Chandler's stomach flu: A lot of you have been asking about that so I'll just say this.  I MIGHT just happen to bring it up again in the future so you'll just have to keep reading.  And let me know in a review what you thought/if you want to hear more/what you might want to hear/constructive but not hurtful criticism.  =D

            Thank you all for all the previous reviews too, you guys are great!   


	10. Familiar Faces

A/N:

            Yo yo! =) What's up?  Thank you all so much for the great reviews!  I really appreciate them.  They keep me going through these freshmen days!  Lol, 10th grade next . . . it'll only get worse. =D

            Let's see . . . something you've all been curious about, I'm sure, and something I need to clear up:  My oath as a fanfiction.net writer is that I will never kill off any of the Friends characters, esp. Chandler.  Okay?  I promise!!! Lol, so whether that inspires you to read more, or inspires you to stop reading (for some weird reason), I hope that's clear.  Lol

            Hope you like the 10th chapter.  I worked hard on it! =D

                        Mncali – are you 14 or 15?  I've been feeling out of place this year cause everyone around me in 9th grade is a year younger than me.  Thanks for reviewing!

Someone to Lean On

Chapter 10:  Familiar Faces

"You're gonna WHAT?!?" Joey yelled after Chandler told him what he was thinking.  

            "Shh!"  Chandler motioned for Joey to shut up. 

            They had retreated into Rachel's bedroom as the girls chatted away.  Chandler needed to tell someone his ideas, and Joey had ended up being more taken aback than what Chandler had predicted.

            "What's the matter with you, man?  You've been doing things lately that are so unlike you."  Joey finally lowered his voice on his last sentence.  

            "Joey, I—"

            "Wait a minute . . . I know what's going on here!  I just saw this show on TLC last night about voodoo dolls and how people can have power over what another person does and says.  Who's controlling you?" he said, only somewhat joking.

            "Joey!"

            "Voodoo!" Joey exclaimed, clasping his hands over his own ears.

            "Joey," Chandler pulled his friend's hands away from his ears.  "This has nothing to do with voodoo, alright?  It has to do with my immense love for an amazing woman who I'm pretty sure loves me just as much.  It has to do with the fact that I don't want to lose her.  I want to be with her as long as she wants to be with me."

            Joey finally calmed down and nodded.  "But there's something else, isn't there?"

            "Yeah," Chandler admitted.  He looked away, feeling vaguely guilty for having these doubts.  "Actually two things.  First of all . . . for some reason I feel compelled to be this baby's father.  I don't want Monica to have to raise it by herself . . . I was kind of the cause for it not having a dad in the first place."

            "What are you talking about?  That guy wouldn't have been there for it anyway . . . he was a bad person, Chandler.  You know that."

            "You're right, I know.  I just don't want Monica to think that's the only reason for marrying her."  He paused, realizing how bizarre that sounded coming from his mouth.  He, Chandler Bing, wanted to marry a woman.

            "What is the other thing?" Joey questioned.

            "Well . . . what if this if this is too good to be true, you know?  Monica is . . . great."

            "Dude, you've got to get some confidence."

            "We all know I don't specialize in confidence."  Chandler smiled slightly.

            "Okay, can I offer my insight now?"

            "Sure, Joe."

            "You guys trust each other, don't you?"

            "Well, yeah.  I mean, I think so."  Chandler hoped she trusted him.  And he hoped he could trust her not to run out again.  He was fairly sure he could . . .

            "Then do just that!"

            "What?" Chandler asked, confused.  At times, Joey could give pretty good advice; it was only his struggle to get his point through that blocked his knowledge from showing.

            "Trust each other!"

            "Oddly, in some very faint, hard-to-see way, that makes sense," Chandler replied with unnoticeable sarcasm.

            "Yeah!  I mean, if Monica says she loves you, trust her.  If she accepts your offer, trust that she really does want to marry you.  Don't doubt!  Doubting will break you guys apart faster than the whole trust issue."

            Chandler nodded.  "You're right, thanks man."  He patted him on the shoulder.

            "What are you, kidding?" Joey asked, and then hugged him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Monica, Phoebe, and Rachel were discussing the pros of being pregnant where Chandler and Joey came back in from the other room.  Joey sat down on the couch to carry on watching "Die Hard" on HBO, and Chandler came up and leaned up against the counter behind Monica.  She smiled at him when he approached, and then continued talking with the girls.     

            Chandler waited for a break in the conversation, and spoke up to Phoebe.  "Hey, sorry to disrupt girls' time, but can I talk to you for a second?"

            Phoebe got the point that he meant he wanted to talk privately, and nodded.  "Oh, sure."  

            Chandler smiled and kissed Monica on the cheek reassuringly before following Phoebe out into the living room.  Monica watched the two curiously, but said nothing.

            When they were sure they were out of Monica and Rachel's range of hearing, Phoebe turned to face Chandler.  "What's wrong?"

            "Nothing.  I, um . . . I was just wondering if you could help me with something."

            "Yeah, anything."

            "Um . . . okay.  I'm thinking about proposing to Monica.  He still kept his voice very low, feeling strange talking about this in the same room that she was in.  

            Phoebe was obviously surprised, but also kept her voice down.  Glancing toward Monica, she said, "What?  So soon?"

            Chandler sighed.  "Why does everybody keep saying that?  At least it's been more than a month!"

            "Oh, yeah.  Sorry.  I know it could be worse.  But still, I mean, what a shock!"

            "Yeah, I know.  I shocked myself by even thinking about it.  But listen, it just feels . . . right, you know?"

            Phoebe nodded and put a hand over her mouth, looking close to tears.  "How sweet!"

            Chandler smiled and hesitated before saying, "I kind of need your help finding a ring.  That is, if you don't mind?  I was going to ask Joey, but it's not like he's even done anything like this before . . . and god knows that Ross has done it _too many _times.  You're the one I feel most comfortable asking."

            "Oh, I totally understand.  I'd be delighted to help you!  I'm so happy for you."

            "Thank you Phoebe, you're the best."

            "I know.  The only thing is that I'm not sure if I have much time until next week to go shopping—"

            "Trust me, that's fine.  I need some time to get my thoughts organized anyway.  I don't even know how I'm going to go about it yet."  Chandler looked over at Monica, who he'd noticed nervously glancing in their direction, and smiled.  She smiled back, seeming to relax a little.

            "Just look at her," he said softly to Phoebe.

            She turned toward Monica, trying to see her through Chandler's eyes.  "Yeah, she's great.  You guys make a great couple." Phoebe finally said, not wanting to get into too much detail.  She started to walk back over, and said to Chandler, "So call me, okay?"   

            "Wait, you can't say a word to her, okay?"

            "Right, I won't."  Phoebe made a gesture like she was zipping her lips together, then headed back to Monica and Rachel.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Later that day, Joey had a date, so Monica and Chandler had the residence to themselves.  

            The two were silently doing the dishes; Chandler washing and Monica drying.  She looked over at him and noticed he was looking off into space.

            She kissed his cheek when she had finished to cup she was drying.  "Hey, you okay?  You seem kind of distant."

            "Yeah," he replied honestly.  "I'm fine."

            Monica smiled.  "I'm glad."

            "You know what though?"  

            "What's that?"

            "I think we should go out, grab something to eat.  Go to that restaurant down the street that you like so much."

            "That sounds like fun."  Then Monica glanced at the still-full sink.

            Chandler read her mind.  "Aw, heck.  We always do the dishes.  We can let Joey do them tonight – it wouldn't hurt him."

            Monica smiled.  "Are you sure?  He seemed pretty wounded when we had him sweep last week."  Chandler laughed, and Monica continued.  "You're right.  I say we go ahead and go."

            "Sounds great.  Let me get changed real quickly, and then we'll go."

            Monica nodded, and watched as he headed into their bedroom.  The truth was that she could use this time out of the house.  It wasn't that she was sick of being here – she was just looking forward to being with Chandler and being able to have some privacy with him to talk.

            Suddenly she looked down at herself and realized that she had only jeans and an old gray T-shirt on, while the place they were headed to was fairly formal.  She laughed at herself for not noticing sooner, then rushed into the bedroom after knocking, grabbed her clothes, and brought them into the bathroom to get ready.  She put on a simple black skirt with a silky red blouse.  The top was one of her favorites – it showed some cleavage but not _too_ much.  Just enough to catch Chandler's eyes for a few seconds.  She then dressed up the suit with her favorite necklace and earrings, which Chandler had gotten for her a couple weeks after they first had started going out.  

            Monica took the pony tail out of her hair and brushed it out, deciding to leave it down tonight.  When she exited the bathroom, Chandler was sitting at the table waiting for her.  He was wearing a black suit that Monica had said before looked great on him.  He stood to greet her and walked over to her, taking her hands in his.

            "Wow, you look—"

            "I know!"  Monica grinned.  "So do you."

            Chandler smiled.  "I look, huh?"  He kissed her softly on the lips.  "Thanks.  You ready to get out of her?"

            "I sure am."

            The two took a taxi to the restaurant and arrived there a little after seven in the evening.  The fact that it was October was causing it to get dark a lot earlier, but the bright city lights lit everything thing up like a second sun, taking the other's place.  

            Surprisingly, there was no wait for a table, as they had expected.  The managers of the place much preferred that people make reservations first, but tonight it wasn't excessively busy.  

            Monica and Chandler got escorted to a two-chair table and took a seat across from each other as they started looking through the menus.

            She was just deciding between two plates when a movement from the other side of the restaurant caught her eye.  She glanced up and was shocked be what she saw.

            "Chandler," she said quietly, touching his arm.

            He noticed the edge to her voice and looked at her over his menu.  "What's up?"

            "I think we should go."  She gestured with her head in another direction, and Chandler followed it with his eyes, getting the hint.  

            George had just entered the restaurant.    

A/N:

            Hey!  I know the first part of that was probably boring, but I tried to improve on it in the last part.  Also, I'm using Phoebe again for the whole proposal thing because I liked the way she acted on Friends when Chandler asked her.  Though it turned out disastrous on the show, it was funny. =)

            So anyway, please leave a review – tell me what you thought.  I'll update again soon – the next chapter is mostly written out on paper, I just need to type it up.  Be patient! =D  Seeya!  


	11. Asking For More

            Okay so I just got this idea for a new fic (to start only AFTER this one's finished so that I won't get distracted) that I'm really excited about writing.  The only thing is that if I followed the whole plot that I've worked through in my head, Monica would pass away.  BUT, that would only be because she's really old.  Most of the story would be in the "past" for Mon and Chan.  I just wanted to run that by you because I know I promised before that I would never kill off any of the friends, so I just wanted to ask whether you would be interested in reading something like that?  I would make the basic story really good though (as good as possible).  If this doesn't make sense to you, I'm sorry.  Lol.

            PLEASE--NO ONE STEAL THAT VAGUE IDEA! =)

            Mncali – yeah, that whole 'year older than classmates' thing does feel really weird.  A good thing about it though is that all of my friends are jealous because I already have my driving permit. =D  When I told this one guy-friend about the permit, whenever he saw me after that for the rest of the day he would shout "Despise!!" and make a clawing motion with his hands.  It was scary.  Lol, just thought I'd share that.

            Anyway!  Sorry about that half-page of my life.  Back to the story!  The song I used in this chapter has, I know, been used probably thousands of times in fanfics, but I love it so I figured that it deserved to be used again. =)

Disclaimer – None of the "Friends" characters belong to me.  Neither does the show, obviously.  However, 'Bright, Kauffman & Crane' – if they, you know, need somewhere to go at the end of this season, I'd be happy to . . . (*wink*)

Someone to Lean On

Chapter 11:  Asking For More  

            The man was dressed in a sharp-looking suit, though it didn't match his actual personality, and had a young woman with a proud look on her face at his elbow.  She looked around the age of 25 or so.

            Chandler shuddered, predicting what would soon happen to that woman when she realized the "real" George.  He noticed Monica was slowly starting to climb under the table, and immediately stopped her.  

            "I can't let him see me!" Monica exclaimed, fear clearly visible in her eyes.  

            Chandler leaned across the table and took her hands in his.  "First of all, you look a hell of a lot happier than he does.  Second of all, I won't let him near you.  I won't let him lay a hand on you.  You trust me, right?"  Monica could hear in his voice that he was telling the truth.

            She nodded slowly.  "You're right.  I-I can't let him control my life anymore.  I can't."  Monica shrugged and said triumphantly, "For all I care, he doesn't even exist anymore."

            Chandler smiled and nodded, giving her hands one last squeeze before letting them go.  "That's the way.  Now, let's eat.  I'm starving."

            Monica returned his smile.  Though, against her own will, she couldn't help glancing back in the direction of her ex-boyfriend before picking her menu back up.  He and his little friend were now being led across the restaurant towards a free table.  However, the only problem was that they were going to have to go right past Monica and Chandler to get to one.

            As they passed, recognition flashed across George's face when he saw Monica.  In his observing, Chandler noticed something else in the man's eyes, too . . . a something that for some reason he didn't want to identify.  George's gaze then turned to Chandler, and anger was then read in his features; jealousy too.  Chandler returned George's glare evenly, not trusting enough to break eye contact until the two had been led past.

            Chandler shook his head, puzzled and worried.  Something was definitely not right with that guy.  Something Chandler wasn't intent on discovering.  

            He looked back at Monica and watched her restraint as she looked over the menu and his anger quickly dissolved.  The only thing that mattered was what he had gotten out of this whole mess.  He had Monica.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            By the time Monica and Chandler got back home, it was nearly eleven.  After the couple had eaten, Chandler had told their cab driver to take them to Central Park.  They had strolled in the large park, and had admired as much as they could see of the trees' brightly colored leaves.  After a while of walking, they had sat on a bench and just talked, each carefully avoiding their run-in with George.

            Their night out had proved to be stress-relieving, and they both were in great moods as they walked into the apartment.  It looked as if Joey had been home because the dishes were done, and a brief scan of the countertop revealed a note from Joey saying that he had had another late date and probably wouldn't be back until morning.  A winking smiley-face located near that last statement exposed more than Chandler and Monica really needed to know.

            Chandler turned to Monica after they both had read the note.  "You know what this means?" 

            "That our friend will soon be on page 142 of the Guinness Book of World Records for the most women laid on one night?" Monica answered jokingly.

            Chandler laughed, "Well, that too.  But, this also means that we'll have the entire apartment to ourselves tonight."  He stepped closer to her and kissed her softly on the lips while simultaneously running a finger down the side of her face, sending a shiver down her spine.

            "Oh, that's true," Monica grinned contentedly and put her arms around the back of his neck, pulling herself closer.  "What do you have in mind?"

            He drew her against his body and kissed her again, with more concentration this time.  She pulled away long enough to say that that sounded like a plan, and then they continued kissing, gradually making their way into the bedroom.

*One Hour Later*

            Chandler wrapped an arm around Monica's small form and his lips brushed against hers.  She smiled and rolled over to face him, her head resting on his chest.  He slowly ran his fingers through her hair and reveled in how satisfied he felt right now.  He was positive that he was the happiest he had been in all his life, all because of one woman: Monica Geller.  Chandler considered himself the luckiest man in the world at this moment.  

            Monica, on the other hand, felt the exact same way—though she also was doing some heavy thinking.  Something had been bothering her in the back of her head for the past few days, and she hadn't been able to figure out what it was until tonight.  She already had Chandler, but for some reason that just didn't feel like enough.  Monica wanted to be sure she would have him for the rest of their lives.  She felt guilty for thinking it, but she wanted to marry him.  Not only was it something she had dreamed of her whole life, it meant something more now.  It would be a sort of security, and she longed for it so much it hurt.  

_Lying here with you, listening to the rain_

_Smiling just to see the smile upon your face_

_These are the moments I thank god that I'm alive_

_These are the moment I'll remember all my life_

_I've found all I've waited for_

_And I could not ask for more_

_--_

_I could not ask for more than this time together_

_I could not ask for more than this time with you_

_Every prayer has been answered_

_Every dream I have's come true_

_And right here in this moment is where I'm meant to be_

_Here with you here with me . . ._

_("I Could Not Ask For More" by Edwin McCain)_

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Whose address do you want again, Mr. Lokstrom?" the impatient desk clerk asked the man standing in front of her in the local County Office.  It had been a long day and she had much better things to do than wait on some random guy wanting to know some random street address.

            "He's a guy by the name of John Mills.  It should be local – I'm not sure whether it's an apartment or a house."  George shifted his position irritably in front of the counter.  It annoyed him—how long this was taking.  He had already told three people that exact same thing, and each had passed him on to another worker.

            Ms. Reedah, as the clerk's name tag read, typed something into a computer which was facing away from George.  She glanced away from the screen to the man, natural sarcasm audible in her voice.  "I've got it here.  I'm assuming you have a good and believable story for wanting to know this address?"

            _Damn it, George thought.  He would have gotten through this a whole lot quicker if he had only used his internet skills at home to tap into a couple of hidden files, which were a lot easier to locate than some may have thought.  But no, like an idiot, he had to do things the hard way and risk being caught in the act._

            He needed a story.  Quick.

            He plastered on what he hoped was a convincing smile.  "It's my Dad.  Yeah.  He actually moved without giving me his address, and I really need to know it so that I can check on him.  You see . . . Dad's mentally handicapped."

            "Well, like father like son.  Did you ever think that maybe he doesn't _want_ you to have his address?  Maybe that's why he didn't give it to you."

            George gripped the edge of the tall counter tightly but succeeded in not showing his anger in any other way.  "Don't you think I need to know why he didn't want me to have it, then?  In families, communication is the key."

            "You're a damn bad liar, you know that?"  She glanced at her watch and sighed heavily.  "You know what?  I'm tired.  I've already worked two hours over my normal shift today and still, you weasels keep coming in, lining up.  Questions, questions, questions.  Know what I'm gonna do?  I'm gonna give you this address just to get you out of my way so I can go home.  I have a family too, you know."

            She read the address off rapidly, but slowly enough so that George had time to pull out a pen and scribble it down in the palm of his hand.  He smiled in thanks, then left the building and took a taxi immediately to the address.  

A/N: 

            If this part confuses you, I apologize.  I promise that it will all make sense soon though!  And not a lot happened in it, which I apologize for also. A little hint:  If you didn't realize this already, look back at chapter 5 to find out why George was trying to find that certain guy's address.

            Let's see, what else can I bore you with? Lol.  Maybe I'll just ask you to review.  Yeah, I'll do that.  Please review and tell me what you think!  If you want me to continue, say so.  If you don't, say so but please add good reasoning.  =D Thank you guys so much for reading!

                         Seeya!  (Did you know that word is actually Spanish for chair?  Actually, that way its spelled 'silla', but they're both pronounced the same way!  Hehe, I thought that was interesting – plus it's really late and I'm tired.  I'll go now.  =))          


	12. Avoiding Without Knowing

A/N:  Hey again!  I decided to try to start updating more often . . . partly because I kind of want to get this one done so that I can start that new one I was talking about (don't get me wrong – I really don't mind finishing this one, it's not like I'm going to do it hastily or anything), and secondly because I think you guys deserve to be able to read chapters more frequently.  I hate it when I love a story that someone's writing but they only post chapters like once every couple of months.  It gets annoying. =D No offence to you that do that because I can understand the whole lack of time thing, though. 

            Okay!  On with the story -- I'm just writing this chapter with absolutely no rough draft in front of me, which is strange for me, but I'll do my best.  

**Disclaimer:  Contrary to popular belief, none of the "Friends" characters are mine.  They belong to Bright, Kauffman, and Krane.     **

Someone to Lean On

Chapter 12:  Avoiding Without Knowing  

            A short middle-aged bald man answered the door when George rung the house's doorbell.  He looked George up and down, a look of distaste on his face.  "Yeah?"

            George was slightly taken aback by the fact that it wasn't Monica or her new boyfriend who answered . . . but who knew, maybe they had a roommate or something.  After just looking at that pretty-boy Monica had chosen over him, he could predict what the guy was like.  Probably he had some boring job, something that had to do with typing numbers into a computer all day, not really going anywhere in his life.  The guy probably didn't make enough to pay for this house himself – hence, this pathetic excuse for a roommate standing in the doorway.

            "Hi, I'm looking for John Mills.  Is he home?"

            "I'm him.  Listen, if you're one of those annoying salespeople, I'm not interested.  Got it?"  The man looked as if he was about to slam the door, but George stopped him.

            "Wait!  No, I'm not selling anything.  You . . . _you're_ not John Mills, are you?"

            "Not that it's really your business anymore, but yes.  That's what I said."  The man smiled, mock-politely, then stepped back inside and closed the door.

            George stood there for a moment, perplexed.  Had the desk clerk at the County place given him the wrong address?  That was possible, he supposed, but wouldn't she have said something if there had been more than one John Mills?  Or had _he_ been mistaken?  

            He laughed suddenly, knowing that would never happen.  John Mills WAS the name that Monica had said, and this guy was just a fraud.  Of course he wasn't John Mills – by some means, he knew about the whole situation and was merely covering for the bastard.  

            George was overtaken by a sudden onrush of anger, and knocked again on the door three times, more firmly this time.  The fake John Mills opened the door, looking very annoyed.  "Look, you little—"

            He was interrupted by George's fist slamming into the front of his face.  Hard.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Oh my god," Rachel said quietly when a headline in the morning paper caught her eye.

            "What?" Phoebe asked.  She was getting a small breakfast prepared for herself Monday morning.  She had over slept, and was attempting to complete all the tasks while rubbing sleep out of her eyes and getting ready for work.  She had an appointment to be at by 8:15, and it was already ten 'till.

            "Oh, someone got beat up at his home Saturday afternoon."

            "Really?  anybody we know?"  Phoebe was a little worried, seeing how barely anything like this happened in the City.  People got hurt of course, but those situations commonly happened on the streets, after midnight – not on someone's property, in the afternoon.

            "John Mills; I don't know him."  Rachel shrugged, turning the page to look at the fashion segment.  

            Phoebe buttered her toast and commented, "At least it wasn't us." 

            She didn't know just how true that was.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Do you really have to go?" Monica asked gently while coming up behind Chandler and wrapping her arms around him.  

            "Sorry, babe."  He turned to face her.  "I've got to.  I've been taking so many 'sick days' lately that I think if I stayed home today, my boss wouldn't be too happy."  

            "Aw, screw your boss!" Monica said, joking.

            "I don't think that would be a good idea, either."  Chandler winked and kissed her on the forehead.  "Hey, why do _you get today off, by the way?"_

            "I'm not sure really . . . I think it's one of those holidays that are so insignificant that you don't even notice when they pass, but restaurants see it as an excuse to give their workers a break or something."  

            "Lucky you."  He grinned, and then looked at his watch and began toward the door.  "Hey, I've got to go.  You be careful, okay?" 

            Monica nodded and blew him a kiss.  "I will.  I'll be waiting for you, okay?"

            "Sounds good – love you."  With that he left, and Monica turned to face the rest of the apartment, feeling boredom set in already.  She shrugged and decided to make use of this opportunity to clean the slightly messy apartment.  Chandler wasn't all that bad when it came to keeping up a residence; Joey was the main problem.  He really was a great guy, but when it came to putting things away, he seemed to have a little blank spot there.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            George sat heavily in his favorite chair by the window looking out upon the street and sighed.  He had no intention of going to work today; Saturday's defeat had left him with only depression.  That is, until he happened to catch a glance of a figure leaving the building across the street.  

            Somehow, miraculously, the landlord had allowed George to keep this apartment, as long as he got a job and was able to save for the next month's payment after Monica had left.  So, he was left here with the memories and the same old view of that boring little coffee house with an apartment building over it across the street.  Same old rusty pipes, the same old orangish-yellow water stains in the sinks, toilets, and the shower.  It was all things that Monica had constantly tried to fix when she was here, but the disarray of the place was as persistent as this damn city – it was just _there_.  And there was nothing anyone could do about it.  Actually, George didn't have any problem with the city, it was the people in it.  

            And now, as he looked out of his window, something happened that brightened his day.  The man who had left the apartment building, and who was now flagging down a yellow taxi look familiar . . . unsettlingly familiar.  George opened the window wide and leaned out to get a better look.  That look confirmed exactly what he had thought.  The man was the man who was now with Monica; the one who had helped Monica move out.  The one who had stared at him warningly in the restaurant the other day.

            George smiled evilly, now satisfied that he at least knew where the guy lived.  All he need now was to do a little more planning.

A/N:

            Hey!  It's you again!  ;)

            Okay, I just want to make sure you know that what I said about New York City up there—that was purely George's thoughts.  I would never say that New York's a _damn_ city.  New York rocks!!! =D

            Also, sorry again about that chapter.  I wrote it in like a half hour so it probably sucks.  Lol, seriously though, tell me what you think!  Anything I might be able to clear up that is confusing you?  I'll try my best to answer in the next chapter if you ask me via review.  Thanks everyone!


	13. The Feeling

Alright people, long time no see indeed! Wow, it's been just about a year, hasn't it? Well, I apologize and I hope you'll forgive me. It's scary how fast time can go by sometimes, eh? I must admit that ever since Friends ended, I haven't been that much into writing fan fiction for it . . . at all. But I felt inspired tonight, and maybe there are still some die-hard Victoria Ann fans out there who are still eagerly awaiting my update? Lol, it's probably a long shot but hey at least I try.

Before I start I want to thank everyone for your encouragement last year and your patience. There will most likely be only a couple more chapters to this story, but I think I owe it to all you guys and to Friends to finish it up. Here ya go!

**Disclaimer: None of the Friends characters belong to me; they are of course property of Bright, Kauffman, and Crane. Hey, anyone think they'll go up for sale on EBAY anytime soon seeing how the show's ended?**

_(Warning: The end of this chapter contains some swearing.)_

Someone to Lean On

Chapter 13: The Feeling

The quick knock on the door startled Monica. She had just been deodorizing the guys' bathroom, which was slightly sickening, and had sat down to take a short break and to get away from the strong fumes of Lysol. Now she was sitting down with her legs over the arm of the living room chair looking over the newest issue of _Car & Driver_ magazine—not exactly her taste but the closest thing within reach.

Pounding resounded on the other side of the door as she dropped the magazine on the coffee table and ran to answer it, almost tripping herself on the way there.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Gosh . . ." she muttered to herself as she unlocked the door and opened it. Then she gasped.

"Hey, babe, miss me?"

* * *

The feeling hit Chandler as if he had been delivered a blow right in the chest. He felt like the breath had been knocked out of him. He didn't know why, he just knew that it could not be good. A shiver ran up his spine, even though the temperature in the cab felt quite cozy.

He looked over his shoulder, out the back window of the car, like he could see what the problem was just by doing that. The gang's apartment building was no longer in sight; it had long since been visually taken over by closer, taller ones. But as he looked in that direction, he knew something wasn't right.

"Stop the cab!" Chandler shouted suddenly, surprising even himself.

"What?" asked the taxi driver incredulously.

"You've got to turn around. Something's wrong."

The driver sighed. He just didn't get paid enough. "I can't do that. Have you seen the traffic in New York City lately?"

"Of course, but you've gotta find a way."

Rolling his eyes, the driver held out his hand expectantly. Hurriedly Chandler rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a twenty, shoving it into the waiting hand.

"We'll see what we can do."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the taxicab pulled up to the curb next to the apartment building. The front tires squealed slight as the driver pressed on the breaks.

"Thanks . . ." Chandler managed to mumble as he tossed another twenty in the direction of the drivers' seat and climbed out, slamming the door shut behind him and running across the street without looking for cars coming from the other direction. Fortunately, nothing was, and he reached the building without further incident.

Nothing looked abnormal about it from the outside. It looked the same as it always did. However, only two things were running through Chandler's mind right now. One was that the building did in fact hold some sort of danger on the inside, and the other was that Monica was in there.

He sprinted up the stairs, making it to the right floor faster than ever before. Then he stopped, surveying his surroundings cautiously. At first everything looked normal. But, there! The door to Chandler and Joey's apartment was slightly ajar.

His heart raced, not only from the recent exercise but also from fear. He slowly approached the door, telling himself in his head that everything was fine. All of this was either his imagination and rarely-showed paranoia presenting itself in an odd way, or maybe he was still sleeping. Yes, that had to be it. This was all just a dream. In a couple of minutes he'd wake up with Monica at his side, sleeping peacefully, and he'd put an arm around her to be sure she was okay. And of course she would be, and he would be happy.

But something just was not right. That feeling in the pit of his stomach he couldn't ignore, and even though he didn't want to admit it, even without pinching himself he knew this was no dream.

As he got nearer to the door, he could hear a muffled voice. It wasn't Monica's voice; it was too deep. It couldn't have been the television, for it sounded too real . . . The voice sounded slightly familiar, too, but Chandler couldn't remember where he had heard it before or whose it could have been.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he reached the door and slowly pushed it open, thankful that no creaking was emitted by the hinges. Chandler thought that his heart was going to stop; it certainly skipped a beat, when he saw the sight before him.

George was standing in the living room, towering over Monica, who was cowering and staring wide-eyed at him, as if she too was still trying to get over the terrible fact that he was _there_. Angry words were coming from him, in a voice that could have done harm all by itself.

"How could you not have told me this, you bitch? The little shit's mine, isn't it?"

Chandler could only assume that they were talking about the baby. He wanted to move, wanted to run to her rescue and be the hero he'd always imagined himself being, but for some reason he was frozen, watching on in fear, as if it were a movie or television show.

Monica was also unable to move or speak. She had seen Chandler enter, but tried not to look at him so that she wouldn't bring him to George's attention. That was the last thing they needed right then. She tried to will him with her mind to turn and walk out of the apartment as quietly as possible, to go call for help before any of them got hurt. But it must not have worked, because Chandler stayed where he was.

When George asked if the baby was his, Monica panicked.

How was she supposed to tell him something that she didn't even know herself?

A/N: Sorry it was kinda short! I was gonna write more, but then I realized that I should probably wait and make sure people are still going to read this before I continue. So, in other words, if you're reading this story and are interested in hearing more, REVIEW! I accept both signed and unsigned so it doesn't matter who you are, just review, please. And if I get enough, I'll update ASAP. Thank you so much!


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